Insult in Affection
by 2343-5480
Summary: For what reason have we separated this time Daniel' a voice from above, identical to his own, asked suddenly with slight irritation. His stomach flipped at the sound. 'Well, are you going to tell me...' pitchpearl dpdf
1. Ignition

**Yeah, my first pitchpearl fic. But that doesn't nesseserally mean that you should not read it. i know I have bad spelling, but hey, tnhat's what computers are for. Apart from slang language i don't think i spelt anything wrong in the actual story. Who made up pitchpearl anyway. That's driving off the subject. Just read and review. if you're not going to rview then don't bother reading it!**

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Danny couldn't get home fast enough. He ran past his father not even waving his usual greeting. He chucked his bag by the door and ran down to the lab grabbing a large device and hauling it up to his room as fast as his poor stamina possibly could. Going ghost as he ran towards it he leapt through and hit the floor roughly having forgotten to place cushions there.

"For what reason have we separated this time Daniel?" a voice from above, identical to his own, asked suddenly with slight irritation. His stomach flipped at the sound. He pushed himself to his feet in a hurry. The ghost was hovering a few inches from the ground with his arms folded across his chest. He looked so empty without his bed sheet cape. "Well, are you going to tell-"

The superhero's sentence was cut short as the floor bound Danny grabbed his suit recklessly and pulled him close to his face. "We need to be separated, dude! I- We've gotta date with Valerie _and _Paulina and you've gotta go on one of 'em!"

Super Danny lifted his nose in disgust. "You wish for me to converse with one of your human fiancée's? That is ridiculous! I refuse to comply with your careless canoodling. Now may we remerge Daniel?"

"Not 'til tomorrow, dude. We need to act like normal so you gotta follow me 'round 'till then. Just chill!"

"I think it is you who are the one who needs to 'chill' whelp." Daniel announced a bit too dramatically.

"Why do you talk like you're forty dude? You're just fourteen!" Danny raised an eyebrow and walked towards his bed but his arm was caught hastily as he strolled past his ghost.

"I have no need to answer your foolish questions, Daniel. Now let us reunite before anyone sees us." Against Danny's will, the ghost pulled him back towards the Fenton Ghost Catcher. Danny tugged his arm free and tackled the gadget to the floor. Daniel cussed at him impatiently. "What do you hope to achieve by our being separate, Daniel?"

"I already told you, dude. Don't you listen?" Danny asked in frustration. He walked up to his levitating counterpart and grabbed the proudly posed symbol on his chest, pulling the ghost to his level.

"I am a superhero. I do not go on 'dates' with human females," Daniel pouted at the other boy and straightened his suit after Danny had released it.

"You mean you're like asexual, dude? That's just sad." Daniel turned on his clueless duplicate.

"I do not exist to be insulted by you, fruitless fiend! I shall retire for the night elsewhere." The ghost boy turned to the window but was abruptly stopped by Danny who tugged him back forcefully by his chest. They both fell to the floor.

"You've got your heroine, dude, and she's Paulina so you gotta meet her tomorrow."

Daniel stood up and pointed a finger for emphasis while asking, "And why must we stay separated until that time. Why do we not separate after your educational activities?"

"We're meetin' at the Nasty Burger after school. Can't we discuss this tomorrow, dude? I'm wasted." He flopped back on his bed and yawned deeply.

"And what if a ghastly ghoul was to cause a ruckus while we are absent?"

"My dad can deal with it. Or you could save Paulina and have a massive make-out session or summit. I dunno." Daniel grimaced and hovered over Danny so that their noses touched.

"And where are you planning for me to slumber pray tell Daniel?"

"I dunno. Can't you like levitate or something?"

"I cannot fly when I am sleeping." Danny ignored him. "It looks like we shall have to sleep together!" he announced and finally sat on the bed in which Danny was resting.

"Dude, you cannot like sleep in the same bed as me. That's just gross!" Daniel pouted. "Sleep on the floor!"

"Can we not fuse for the night and divide again in the morning, Daniel?" His suggestion was answered with an agitated grunt. The spirit sighed inwardly and sat on the carpet with his head leaned against the mattress. He seemed to sit like that for hours watching the room darken slowly and hearing Danny's thunderous snores diminish into quiet rasps. His eyelids were becoming more and more heavy.

Something draped onto his shoulder startling him. He looked to find a drool covered arm. He scowled at the sight and tried to push it back onto the bed but it persistently kept falling back. "Blast you infernal limb!" He stated in deep annoyance.

"Dude… go to sleep!"

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"Daniel! I do believe it is time for you to arise. You must prepare for your daily necessary curriculum. I shall help you get ready or you may be late." Danny felt a rather annoying prodding on his back. He tightened his hold on the pillow over his head. "Are you not feeling well, Daniel?" His last word was muffled by the pillow that hit home after Danny hurled it his direction.

"Do you like never stop talking?"

Daniel held the pillow at arms length and asked seriously, "Do you think a smaller cape would suit better?" Danny lunged at the ghost and pried his pillow from it's grasp.

"You look bummed," he noted before chucking the item back onto his bed and heading for the bathroom. Daniel followed him in about to reply. "Do you have no morals, dude?" Danny asked tiredly and pushed his twin back out the door.

"But we are of one, Daniel? There is nothing I have not seen-"

"Just shut up and go find something to do that isn't annoying or loud." Daniel lingered for a moment before complying. Danny found him sitting on the floor when he finally existed the bathroom fully dressed in his usual attire minus the cap and jacket.

"Do I look like Danny then?" he asked shortly and moved his arms in front of him to catch the phantom's attention.

"But we are both Danny. How can we not look like him?"

"I mean 'The Danny,' dude." Daniel flew up to him and inspected him closely.

"A fine match indeed, though Daniel does not have long hair." Danny cursed and pulled at the ponytail he'd forgotten about. "Fear not my similar subordinate, I may cut it for you!"

"I'm not your subordinate, man, and like I can trust you with a pair of scissors." Daniel stroked his chin in exaggerated thought.

"I see not much else that can be done, Daniel. That and your attitude is going to reveal us straight away." Danny ceased tugging at his hair and sat on the chair at his desk.

"Is there like one of those hair salon things nearby?" Daniel laughed with a forced tone to it.

"I do not know this town as well as you should." Danny stood and shrugged it off.

"I guess it's not that much of a problem. Who cares if they notice?" He went to wonder out of his room but was stopped as Daniel landed in front of him.

"Do I roam the town in search of villainous spooks whilst you attend classes?" Danny grabbed the arm from his shoulder and dragged the ghost, who immediately went invisible, out of his room and down the stairs to the front door.

"You're not having breakfast honey?" His mum called from the kitchen and wondered out to greet him. He answered with a quick and dismissive 'not hungry' and opened the door. "You're unusually late this morning Danny. Are you feeling okay?" Danny chuckled at how Daniel had 'announced' the same thing that morning.

"I'm fine mum," he assured realistically. He tightened his grip on the black clad wrist which was now struggling to escape as his mother stepped closer.

"What happened to your hair?" she questioned her son who smiled innocently and said;

"I guess it just like grows fast." He slipped out of the door and slammed it just before he'd pulled his ghost all the way through who took slight injury as he went intangible. When they were out of the way Danny released the arm and watched him emerge rubbing it tenderly.

"You do a better job of being Danny than I. You were quite convincing." Danny snorted and lifted his arms. Daniel raised an eyebrow. "You wish for me to fly you? Was Jazz not offering to drive us just the other day?"

"We'll be late otherwise, dude, and you gotta follow me around so if I have to 'go ghost' at any time it's not suspicious." Daniel nodded and swooped down lifting Danny by his shoulders. He heard the boy grunt in discomfort but ignored it. He wasn't particularly feeling at his best either!

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The theatrical two flew unseen inside the school and left the janitors closet looking casual, Daniel undetected by classmate's of course and Danny trying to act his best at 'The Danny'. Sam and Tucker were intolerantly waiting outside his locker.

"You decided to 'fly in' today then?" Sam asked and glanced suspiciously at his hair. He went to open his locker but realised he'd forgotten his combination. Daniel immediately reached into his hand and took control of it, twisting the dial to the correct digits. It swung open and he grabbed the books he wanted before slamming it shut.

"Why didn't you just phase through?" Tucker asked as Danny realised that the corridor was rather barren save for the odd late pupil.

"I hadn't noticed I was that late," he said innocently and led the way to first lesson resuming usual conversation with his friends.

He found it extremely hard to concentrate, as usual, but more so without any breakfast. He could feel himself flop onto his desk and slowly begin to drift to sleep until he heard an urgent whisper in his ear.

"You really need to pay attention in your lessons more, Daniel? How else do you intend to be smart enough to accompany me in battle?" He gasped in fright and leapt out of his seat rather clumsily. Mr Lancer looked at him with a very vapid gaze and asked evenly.

"Mr Fenton! Is there a reason why you leap up in the middle of my lesson? Are we that eager to answer the question?" Danny glanced about himself and realised that most of the class were giggling into their hands except for Sam and Tucker who looked at him sceptically.

Danny cleared his throat and said without thinking, "Uhh, sorry, dude, I kinda like just woke up so…" His tutor raised a questionable eyebrow but continued before Danny had a chance to.

"Well I think that credits an after school detention don't you?" Danny sat back down slowly and lay back in his chair before the realisation had a chance to sink in. _He means like after school when I have my date with Valerie! _He heard a hushed chuckle over his shoulder and a soundless whisper directed at him.

"That was very well handled, Daniel. You may have quite a time explaining _that _ to your friends _dude.__" _Danny hissed.

"Are you like mocking me, dude? 'Cus if you are I'm totally not gonna fuse with you when we get back to my house man!"

The lesson just couldn't end quick enough. Every question asked in that lesson would end up directed at Danny who, even though he had not fallen asleep for a second time during the lesson, had not been paying enough attention to remember what was asked.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tucker asked for the umpteenth time that lunch break. Sam had been considerably quiet during their sitting. Danny hadn't even noticed which only seemed to irritate her.

"Look, Danny, even if Tucker can't tell I can. You've separated yourself again haven't you?" Danny looked her way as the sudden realisation seemed to hit Tucker.

"Whatever dudette. I have a busy schedule today so I kinda need two pairs of hands." Sam frowned at him as he burped after downing his whole drink in one go.

"That's disgusting!" Danny could have sworn he heard his phantom agreeing. Danny shrugged. "You can't just go using your parent's things like that whenever life gets a bit hard you know Danny."

Her friend leaned back in his chair and rested his arms at shoulder height. "I'm not. I'm just using them when I feel like it." Sam frowned at him. "And anyway I really kinda can't go out today if I'm like 'one', so…"

"…so it's like you 'kinda' just had the urge to invite both your girlfriends out on the same night _at the same time?__" _Tucker pointed out. Daniel looked between the three friends somewhat distractedly. Danny blinked and replied vaguely.

"Dude, I wasn't thinking straight." Sam was just about to counter that when the bell rang and Danny got up before she had the chance to say anything. "I'll catch you after class dudes."

Sam looked at him. "Yeah. For detention!"


	2. Disorder

**Chapter two. Read AND review.** 7710

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Danny crept into the closet and closed the door quietly behind him only to cause a ruckus by knocking the mop over. "Quickly, dude, like get us out of here." His ghost appeared before him.

"But do you not have an after school sanction to attend?" The ghost was not particularly grasping what Danny meant.

"I've got to ditch and you gotta help. Phase us out of here, dude!" Daniel looked down on him from his elevated position.

"I do not feel the need to comply with such an irresponsible action for it will only lead to further consequences on our behalf."

"On my behalf, dude, it's my detention. You've been acting so bummed since this morning. What is wrong with you? You've gotta get us out of here!" Daniel watched how frantically the human was ordering him. He felt ashamed that he had been so harsh although, he was only trying to help with Danny's future. If he didn't attend his detention, what will it teach him?

"I shall only this time, Daniel. You need to learn the punishments of life." At that he grabbed Danny's waist and pulled him through the wall. "You shall go meet with the coloured girl now?"

"Yeah, and Paulina should be waiting for you in the park. Go make her happy, Dude. All she can ever do is talk about you!" He ran off leaving the phantom to consider whether to go or not to.

"Not about _me_, about _us_…"

Daniel approached the bench where Paulina sat waiting for him. She immediately squealed and latched onto his arm when he was close enough. He flinched at the contact but didn't want to tick her off at all.

"Oh my god. I can't believe you came here to see me. Well I can seeing as how popular I am but still… oh my god!" Daniel considered what to say. He couldn't think Danny-like at all.

"You're ego is more inflated than Daniel's. That is quite an impressive characteristic." Paulina looked up at him in confusion for a second before smiling none-the-less and tugging him to stroll with her. He coughed uncomfortably but followed her unenthusiastically.

"I was hoping that we could go to the movies and watch some soppy romance film and talk about how beautiful I am by the lake and…"

Daniel pulled his arm from her grasp and stood squarely before the retarded girl. "I cannot go to public entertainment houses with you. Nor can I be seen gallivanting with you in open locations under the eyes of watchful pedestrians. Any villain could then take you as a hostage to tempt me to my fateful doom by their hands and I cannot let that happen!" he announced.

Paulina looked thoughtful for a few seconds before her face lit up and she crushed Daniel into her chest. He choked in surprise. "So you mean you like want to protect me! That's so cute!"

"Yes young student. I must… protect all citizens under… my watch!" Danny coughed. "As _Danny Phantom _I must protect Amity Park from all sinful spirits."

Paulina released him and asked, "Did you always talk so much?" Daniel floated in front of her in thought and asked finally;

"I talk a lot? Daniel did say the same thing to me." Paulina huffed in obvious annoyance. Daniel looked at her in inquiry.

"I know that you hang around with Danny a lot but you don't have to mention him like all the time."

"I do not 'hang' with Daniel… he just needs a lot of rescuing. And as protagonist of this town I am the one to do it." Paulina seemed to turn off him slightly then.

"You're talking weird. How about we just go to Nasty Burger and _share some-__" _

"But Daniel is dining their with his acquaintance. Perhaps we should just sit here for the next forty-five minutes…"

Paulina pouted up at him. "Why don't you go and check to see how Danny's doing and leave me here by myself." Daniel turned to her and flashed a clueless smile.

"You mean for me to spy upon his outing. What an excellent suggestion!" Paulina grumbled and stalked off leaving Daniel to watch after her unaware as to why she was so irritated.

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Valerie was waiting outside the Nasty Burger just as Danny had asked her to. He yawned rudely as he approached her. She scowled as she spotted him doing so.

"Sorry for boring you so much before we've even started talking." Danny laughed and so did she. He placed a hand on her shoulder and lead her into the 'restaurant'.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Exhausting day in school as usual. You?" She smiled at him and took a seat in one of the stalls. A ginger geeky looking kid walked up to them.

"You know. Same old." The boy took out a note pad and clumsily fumbled around in his pockets for a pen which he dropped onto the floor. Both Danny and Valerie reached down to get it and ended up holding hands. Danny blushed as Valerie withdrew her hand and smiled at him. He picked up the pen and ordered their usual meal and then lay back against the booth with his hands behind his head.

"You look different today. Maybe it's-"

"-the hair?" She nodded. "Yeah. It like needs cutting but I haven't had the chance to have it done. I've been goofing off going to the hairdressers lately. Busy you know."

"Where do you go all the time?" she questioned. "Whenever a ghost comes around you always disappear as well." Danny already had this covered.

"My parents tell me to stay well clear, otherwise they worry you know?" Valerie cast a caring look his way before blushing deeply and gratefully turning to the food that had been placed on their table. She ate it hungrily while Danny only nibbled at his passing her sentimental looks every now and then.

"You really care about what they think don't you? Your parents?" Danny looked up as he was taking a rather large bite. Temporarily forgetting his manners he began to talk with his mouth full of chewed up burger.

"Well, sometimes they just annoy me but I know it would devastate them if I was like killed by a ghost." He gulped. "Sorry!" She only seemed to find it cute as she challenged him with a passionate stare. He gulped again but not because of his food.

A large crash was heard from above and the occupants of the bistro began to flee hysterically. Danny and Valerie both looked up suddenly to see a familiar bed sheet clothed silhouette not to far above their heads. Valerie gasped.

"Fear not cowardly customers, _Danny Phantom _is here!" Valerie and Danny both jumped to their feet simultaneously and glanced at each other before saying in tune;

"Sorry. Gotta go. Talk tomorrow. Bye!" Valerie fled the scene as Danny approached his wild twin. Daniel descended to his level and beamed at him.

"What an accomplished feeling that was!" Danny grabbed his leg and pulled him to the ground.

"Dude! You're completely insane! Like where's Paulina?" Daniel huffed and pushed Danny's hands from his suit.

"I thought I saw a ghost approaching here so she bid me good luck in my brave battle-"

"But there was no ghost! You're ghost sense would have gone off man!" Daniel looked about him.

"It was rather chilly so I could not tell if it had gone off or not. If I interrupted your romantic evening alone then please accept my deepest of apologies-" he suddenly crashed into the wall as a large missile hit him in the back.

"Get away from him!" Danny heard Valerie shout as the familiar red clad figure hovered over them menacingly.

"Holy hybrids!" Phantom exclaimed vividly. "It is the masked woman who confuses me for a villain! No matter. She must be banished as well." His fists glowed as he readied to fire.

"That's Valerie, dude! You can't like _blast _her!" Daniel let the ectoplasm fade as he was shot at once more. Flipping in the air he coiled down towards her blasting the board from beneath her feet. She managed to launch a well aimed bullet into the super ghost's chest before landing forcefully on the tiled ground. Daniel managed a rather impressive landing on his two feet as he leapt back into the air and awaited the rise of his opponent.

"Dude! That was awesome… uh, I mean, are you like okay, dude?" Daniel turned to him and placed his fists proudly on his hips.

"I am more than okay. I'm _super!__"_ Valerie rose from the ground and leapt onto another jet board she'd conjured from nowhere. Danny turned to Daniel.

"I gotta leave or she might get suspicious."

"You take your leave. I will deal with her and meet you back at the house." Danny began to run from the café but turned around again when he heard a cry of pain from his alter-ego. Daniel just waved him off impatiently as he shot back at Valerie. Danny did so reluctantly, glancing back every step to see how the battle might turn out…

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"Dude! You absolutely kicked her ass! Totally awesome brawl out dude!" Danny sat up as his ghost entered the room wearily. Danny had not been long back. He had hid and watched their fight from a save distance. It seemed that he hadn't been that safe at all!

"What is that mark on your face?" Daniel asked and slumped on the bed looking at him in mild concern. "It looks somewhat painful."

Danny flicked the wound idly and smiled. "Nothing I can't handle dude. You look wasted though. You made it look like totally easy."

"I didn't get sufficient sleep last night and I did tell you to retreat to a safe place and you ignore me." Daniel rubbed his spine but winced at the angle his shoulder twisted at.

"As if, dude! That was seriously awesome." Daniel lay down and didn't reply for a while. Danny frowned.

"You and the hunter looked happy," he muttered. Danny got up and looked out the window realising just how bitter a breeze there was. He turned back to the phantom who looked very drained and non-Danny-like.

"Maybe we were, dude… but if you like _really _don't like Paulina you don't like have to see her again." He pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. Daniel turned away from him.

"They are not all so narcissistic are they? Spending most of their time on themselves."

"You can talk dude. You're like the most vain person I know." Once again he did not get and answer. Awkwardly he reached out a hand and placed it on the other's shoulder. "Uhh… you're really not right are you?"

"I hope to feel better for tomorrow. May I sleep in peace now Daniel?" Danny nodded and then answered out loud for the ghost to hear.

"Yeah, dude. I'll, uh, like sleep in the bath or something." He got up and headed for the bathroom but he felt a cold hand grab his wrist.

"I am not unwell or rabid, Daniel. You need not sleep in the bathroom."

"But you like need the bed more than me." Daniel smiled then and pulled Danny into a lung crushing hug. Danny wheezed in shock and clumsily placed his arms around the other's neck. "You are more compassionate then I thought at first, Daniel. I insist that you slumber in your bed. I shall find somewhere else." Danny's grasp on the phantom's neck intensified and he closed his eyes for the moment. He let one hand drift through the boy's soft ashen hair.

"Dude?" Danny asked with embarrassment. "Why don't we like… share?" Daniel could have questioned him but instead he smiled avidly and shifted to the far side of the bed to make room. "I just gotta get changed." Danny blushed and gathered his night clothes before entering the bathroom.

Daniel smiled fondly and leaned back thinking of when he'd left Paulina only a few hours earlier. He had turned away after she had left and not bothered to follow her. Instead he searched for the fast food diner where Danny was supposed to be. Where else could he go really? He didn't really feel he had the right to enter Danny's room without him there, even though it was technically his own as well.

Looking through one of the skylights he had spotted them. Danny had been leaning down with his hand on Valerie's. Daniel decided to continue watching out of interest. He noticed how tense it looked around them. It wasn't the usual 'date' as Danny would call it.

Then he noticed the both of them freeze, staring at each other. He felt something unusual and gripped his stomach unnervingly. He watched as they inched closer, as did his nose to the glass pane, obviously subconsciously. He knew that this could only lead to disaster. A beautiful disaster. He knew he shouldn't interfere, but the moment seemed so predictable and perfect. He growled and let himself crash through the skylight creating the most sonorous noise with the glass as he could.

He turned over as he felt something warm press up against him but inched away after realising that it was Danny. Watching his twin's chest rise and fall in a soothing way he let himself relax and slowly the heat made it's way across the mattress to his side. He felt his stressed muscles loosen and snuggled into the covers gratefully. He tucked his hands under the pillow. How blissful this was compared to the cold, hard floor.

As his eyelids began to drop he felt something hit him on the back of his head. He hissed in bother and turned to the drool soaked limb. Still, tonight it just didn't seem as agitating as before. He let it rest snugly around his neck and nuzzled the hand comfortably whilst pushing closer to the heat source. Danny seemed to already be asleep with his back turned. Daniel felt that that night was going to be quite enjoyable, until Danny started snoring that is.


	3. Dispute

**Chapter Three. 4313 163 434832 94 31666 2899 61765 697**

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"Danny, time to get up if you don't want to be late!" his mother barked up the stairs. He stirred and started choking as he tried to take a breath. He spat the pallid hair from his mouth and looked down to find the drooling ghost sprawled over his chest. He smiled dimly and chuckled. He prodded the ghost in the ass and only laughed harder when he yelped and leapt from the bed. 

"And you say I'm like the lazy one."

"That was an inappropriate action…" Daniel whinged with sleep tears in his eyes. He rubbed his backside tenderly.

"I don't think you can borrow my cover today, dude. It's like covered in spit." Daniel grimaced and said radically;

"It is not the clothes that make me a great hero, it is my unwavering dedication and perseverance!" Danny had wandered into the bathroom before he'd even finished speaking.

When he returned to the bedroom Daniel continued to speak. "You're manners are questionable immature adolescent. Perhaps I should teach you correct etiquette when you return from school."

"You can talk lying over me like that all night. I've got like neck ache now, dude." Daniel blushed deeply before countering.

"I was asleep so that doesn't count!"

"Who's acting immature now?" Daniel didn't reply as he followed Danny downstairs and to the breakfast table. It didn't take him long to wolf down his food and leave the table to head to school. Once he was out the house he turned to Daniel to ask something but Jazz left just behind him and he didn't have the opportunity to verbalize at all.

"You avoided me yesterday but I'm driving you today Danny. You can be early today to make up for skipping class yesterday. Lancer wasn't very pleased about that." Danny remembered suddenly about the detention and groaned. He heard a discrete chuckle behind him.

"Okay Jazz but please don't take like loads of detours this time."

It didn't take them long to get to school. As his sister was told she did not pick up any friends on the way. Danny walked into school with his sister only to realise that he'd arrived before Sam and Tucker. Waving his sister off hurriedly he entered the boy's toilets and one of the cubicles. Phantom became visible next to him and he sighed genuinely.

"It's gonna be totally hard to talk isn't it?" Danny asked intolerably as someone else entered the room and chose the cubicle next to his. He shrugged at the ghost who was attempting some sort of sign language. In the end he phased them both into an empty classroom next door.

"Were we not going to remerge last night?" Daniel asked curiously. Danny's eyes widened at the question he'd taken to be a suggestion.

"Dude, I like completely forgot. How dumb am I?" He slapped his forehead and the phantom hovered in front of him warily. "Shall we like tonight then when we get back… if you wanna?" he added when he glanced up at his ghost's grave face and held his gaze. "_Do _you wanna?" He realised how suggestive that had sounded and added quickly, "you know, fuse back together tonight."

Daniel considered this before saying honestly, "We've been separated for so long now that I am feeling quite resentful towards that course of action. Should I feel that?" Danny shrugged.

"I guess I kinda don't want to either though, It's like… I dunno." There was silence between the two for a second which was quickly brought to an end by the bell. Daniel took hold of Danny and turned them both intangible taking them back to the locked cubicle in the toilets before anyone entered the classroom. Danny unlocked it and walked out, relieved that it was only him and his phantom. He left for first lesson.

Sam glanced between Tucker and Danny as they shouted at each other wildly and lunged at each other's PDA's trying to put them off their wireless race. Danny seemed to be winning by not much more than a few metres and was pushing Tuck back in concentration. A bleep from his PDA indicated him the winner.

"No fair, man. You pushed me off course." Danny laughed at him and chucked him back his computer.

"It's an online game, dude. You can't cheat." Tucker growled a protest but was cut short as Valerie walked up behind Sam and smiled at Danny. "Hey Val!" he grinned enthusiastically. She blushed as Tucker and Sam turned to face her as well.

Sam got up and said in a strained voice, "Yeah, well you two probably want to be alone right?" She grabbed techno-geek and dragged him away from the table. Valerie took Sam's place opposite Danny.

"Sorry about them. They're just a bit new to the whole 'new friends' idea." She smiled.

"I have the afternoon off lessons so I wondered if you wanted to come out with me, that is, unless you still have lessons?" Danny gulped and glanced at where he knew his phantom was floating. Obviously not seeing anything he turned back to Valerie. She had managed to put the most seductive face he'd ever seen on. He blushed and laughed gracelessly.

"Of course I don't have lessons I'll go with you!" Immediately he felt something, or someone tug him off his seat by his collar. He choked disturbingly and tried to make the kidnap look natural. "…But I need to use the bathroom, I guess. Wait there!"

Daniel hissed at him when he'd finally shut the door behind them. Unfortunately the bathroom was crowded so he had to pull them both into the disabled toilet which, strangely, was smaller than the boy's cubicles. Danny tried his hardest to pull away from the ghost but ended up sitting on the toilet seat with the spirit's nose pressed up to his.

"I forbid you to shirk off school to dine with your female cohort! I apply it to be my duty to assure that you learn!" Danny pushed back until he was standing again and Daniel was pushed against the wall and the phantom let out a groan that had probably been heard from outside in the corridor.

"Whatever, dude. You like can't _make _me stay in school. If I wanna go, I'll totally go! Don't you like have ghosts to go and fight?" Daniel rubbed his back sorely.

"Actually no. It seems that our father has refrained from opening the ghost portal for some time now." He stretched his spine and knocked Danny in the chest causing a pant to be forced from his lungs. Danny tried to push past him to leave but Daniel grabbed his shirt but let it go again. Danny watched questionably as the ghost flew upwards and disappeared through the ceiling. When he left the toilet he noticed some quite amused expressions aimed his way.

He still went out with Valerie. He missed one lesson in doing so. Danny had been distracted throughout the whole date and Valerie was careful not to ask about it. When he was about to leave she spoke up. "You seem kind of… unfocused," she stated and Danny nodded solemnly. He couldn't just lie back and relax. It was quite infuriating, how he couldn't get that damned innocent look Daniel had given him out of his mind. "How about we meet up after school and talk about it…" she fiddle with the sleeve of his shirt nervously, "…and other things." As much as Danny might have wanted to, there was something he really had to do that night.

"I'm really sorry, Val, but there's like a million things to think about at the moment." She cast him a sombre but understanding and somewhat embarrassed look.

"That's okay…" she said vaguely as he walked off and back to school without even waving goodbye.

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"Are you sure your parents are gonna be here today?" Danny asked Sam desperately. She nodded again and Danny turned to Tucker.

"Don't look at me!" he exclaimed. "My parents are insisting to go through my test papers with me!"

"Where else are we supposed to go dudes? Everywhere there's like too many people. My dad's like inviting Vlad and a load of his old classmates so the house is going to be totally crowded. What bad timing for him to go off in a mood."

"Well the heroes always do tend to have an extreme emotion scale," Sam said trying to comfort the human half of her friend. Tucker laughed.

"Yeah! One minute they're like 'I work alone' and the next they're doing sidekick try outs!" Danny fell onto the floor and rested his forehead on his hands.

"I dunno what's up with him though. He's acting really emotional and it's like totally nerve-racking!" He sighed. He wasn't used to dealing with such distress.

"I don't see why you're that worried. Everyone goes through problems and phases. You'll just have to try and support whatever he's going through." Danny nodded distantly.

"He's like the other half of me. I've got to worry. We still need to talk though. I don't know if that can wait 'till like next week." Sam rested a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off. He didn't feel like her sympathy right now.

"Why don't you take him out of town, like to that small park that no one uses just outside the suburbs?" Sam suggested. "I'm sure you won't run into anyone there." Danny sighed and slouched further.

"Yeah. I guess I'll have to do that. What a mission. I'm gonna have to like get him to fly me. I dunno if he'll even listen."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You must have done something really bad to annoy him that much. He doesn't seem the 'type' to annoy easily." Danny agreed.

"All I've been doing is like bunking off lessons to go out with Valerie and he's totally bummed by it. I even turned down Valerie to come and talk to you guys about it. It's seriously worrying me." Danny got up when he heard Sam's mother call them. He left with Tucker and waved to Sam gratefully as he left.


	4. Chances, Choices, Changes

**Chapter 4 was specifically created tp make this fic a big fat M so don't say I didn't warn you. btw - Daniel turns paulina down because he's besotted with Danny**

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When he finally got home he found Daniel making his bed and putting things away in his cupboard. When Daniel heard him approach he turned around with a miniature rocket model in hand and pointed it at him. "Did you enjoy your prohibited time off lessons?" Danny smiled at his inflated tone. At least that was back to normal.

Daniel threw the last few pieces into his wardrobe and slammed the door. He then fell back on the bed, his head lying not far from Danny's lap. He let out a tired breath and closed his eyes drowsily. Danny placed a hand delicately on his forehead and flicked a stray strand of white hair from his eye but realised what he was doing and withdrew it quickly. Daniel opened a lazy eye and looked up at him curiously.

"Sorry dude. I just thought you might have a fever or summit," he said truthfully and stood up. Daniel followed suit.

"I am a ghost. I cannot catch a fever or illness of any sort. Also, why are we standing?" Danny yawned and stretched his arms. He might as well get this over with.

"Because we're like leaving before anyone of my dad's mates turn up." Daniel cast a questioning look but didn't actually ask anything. Danny lifted his arms and Daniel slowly grabbed him under his shoulders and lifted him from the floor and through the ceiling.

"It would help if I knew where we were going," Daniel asked as he hovered above the house glancing down at his twin hesitantly. Danny pointed the direction of the coast and his shoulder clicked. He twisted in Daniels grasp uncomfortably and yipped when he nearly fell. Daniel pulled him closer to his chest.

"Dude! Do you know how much that hurts!" He complained rhetorically. Daniel sighed and slid a hand under his knees to disperse his weight more. He smiled as the boy shifted into a more secure position, one arm around his waist and the other gripping firmly onto his wrist. He could feel his hand start to go numb but ignored this trivial discomfort.

He headed the way in which Danny had pointed and asked with repentance, "Are you meeting with the hunter girl again?" Danny shook his head but Daniel took no note of this action and awaited a proper answer. "What do you plan to do when we reach our destination? It seems rather far away from our dwelling." Still Danny didn't reply straight away.

"You'll find out when we get there, dude…" For some reason Danny felt regretful in going so far away. He also felt bad about how domineering he'd been to the phantom, always ordering him and never asking. It just seemed so easy to do. He didn't understand why he hadn't just told Daniel why they were going all the way out here. Probably because he'd turn around and take them both back home again!

All the thoughts were washed away by the calm sound of lapping water on cool sand soon to be replaced by large waves crashing against the steep cliffs. The sun had just finished setting which disappointed Danny somewhat. How much more beautiful the picture could have been with the glowing star there to illuminate those imperfect features. He wasn't sure whether he was thinking about the scenery anymore as he gazed upon his duplicate's lost smile as he himself had been appreciating the picturesque landscaping.

Danny looked upon the grassy crags and smiled. Forget the park, this'll do! "Just there!" Danny shouted over the wind and pointed to a lonely cliff which looked rather sheltered and showed an impressive view just above sea level. Daniel nodded lightly and dived down to the indicated spot.

He dropped Danny onto the grass more harshly than intended. "I request your forgiveness," Daniel apologised politely and helped Danny back to his feet. He glanced over the water and suddenly felt really guilty. He turned to Daniel who seemed too distracted by the outlook to pay full attention.

"Are you not going to go find her? I do not mind at all waiting here for you." To prove his point he sat down and refused to look at Danny.

"Look, I'm sorry for like bossing you around so much…" Daniel turned to him and smiled.

"I don't mind that. I have nothing better to waste my time on currently." He sniffed and wiped his runny nose on his sleeve. Danny chuckled slightly and took a seat next to his doppelganger. Daniel frowned and spoke again. "You like her don't you?"

Danny took the question as pure curiosity. "A bit, yeah…" Daniel sighed and lay backwards. Danny followed his movements with his eyes. "She's like fun to be with and, well, I just enjoy our dates and stuff." His language made it really hard to be sincere. Daniel snorted out of character and sat up again.

"Are you taking your passion slowly then?" Daniel turned to him and grinned naively.

"What sort of a question is that, dude?" Danny blushed and pinched the ghost's nipple through his suit. The phantom whimpered acutely in pain or… enjoyment? He felt his breath catch in his throat and his stomach flip warmly as a hot sensation poured down his spine. Shivering pleasantly he tightened his grip around his arms which now had severe Goosebumps.

"Are you cold?" He heard that voice ask. His stomach flipped again. He shifted on the spot and hugged himself tighter. Whatever he'd realised in that one second, it seemed, had just changed their whole situation completely. "Shall I take you… back?" He was barely whispering now sounding worried when Danny caught his eye for a moment and flushed. Danny tried to relax his muscles and stop the tightening in his abdomen. When he heard that voice all he could hear was that one moan that had accidentally escaped earlier. He shuddered again as cold arms wrapped around his own. He wanted to hear it again!

He leaned into them and turned to Daniel who was looking concerned now. Danny grinned. "Look I'm fine, dude…" he lay Daniel down on the grass and leaned over him. The ghost complied with a puzzled look on his face. Danny's eyes looked onto him pleadingly. "Just do that again…" he whined. The ghost stiffened when Danny lowered his face to his level and breathed on his skin.

"Do… what?" he squeaked innocently. Danny could see him quiver and tense his fists in expectancy. Danny's eyes wandered rudely and impatiently over the body underneath him. He felt his mouth grow dry as he watched beads of sweat roll down that pallid skin. A small grin caught Daniel's lip and he repeated the question. "Do what, Daniel?" Danny pressed an eager hand to the straddled boy's thigh but withdrew slightly when the ghost gave him no response.

He was taken aback when suddenly the phantom grabbed the scruff of his neck and pulled him into a bruising kiss. Daniel pushed his tongue into his twin's mouth and began to knead the skin around his waist with his spare hand. Danny pulled himself further on top of him and returned the sudden forceful kiss into his mouth causing loose spit to dribble down his chin and the aching in his stomach to increase urgently.

He felt his face heat up as Daniel's hand tickled his hip bone and made its way down the front of his trousers. Danny broke the kiss in shock when the phantom grabbed him between the legs and squeezed tauntingly.

Daniel nibbled at his earlobe patiently to allow Danny to moan and tighten his grip on his ghost's shoulders obviously a virgin to this sort of contact as was Daniel. Danny further exposed his neck to the lips which continued to taste his collar bone hungrily and expose his sweaty flesh to the warm breath and soft bites which wondered over it. He whined, unexpectedly to Daniel, when the hand was removed from his pants.

Danny desperately pushed his erection upwards into the ghost's drawing a droned moan which caused Danny's skin to crawl with suspense. He soon found himself rolled below his ghostly double panting into his neck, his face coated with sweat.

"You are too safeguarded," Daniel purred into the teen's neck and Danny blushed further leaning into the vibrations the sound had send through his skin. He glanced frantically into Daniel's eyes as the ghost began to slide his pants down his legs. Danny assisted in this motion and hurriedly helped Daniel out of his own tight fitting attire.

He winced when something cold splashed onto his face and glanced up at the sky. It looked so gloomy behind such a dazzling smile. He pulled the naked body nearer to his own and the phantom positioned himself between Danny's legs and looked down at him fretfully.

Danny gripped his hips and impatiently pulled the ghost rather hurriedly into the entry. He felt an extremely satisfying pleasure surge throughout his body followed by a sore ache. He gasped and gripped the bare shoulders above him for support. He felt Daniel throb inside him as he went to pull back out. Danny hissed, intolerant to Daniel's worry currently, and heard a slight chuckle as the boy thrust back into him unpredictably.

Danny whined loudly into the teen's neck as his vision clouded over for the moment. His muscles contracted only to cause a second orgasm in both him and the ghost he had tensed around. The phantom cried out and leaned over Danny feebly. Danny smirked at how new to this all he must be, but then again, Danny could talk. He began to drive his own hips against the ghost's and somehow managed to roll them over again so that he was dominating the movement. He watched, aroused by the writhing boy beneath him and by the pulse which he could feel inside himself emitted by the motion he'd began.

It felt like his limbs were melting into the grass as he heard another laboured moan escape Daniel's parted lips and saw his eyes flutter closed. His perfect face looked pained but roused which only caused the moment more pleasurable because, through Danny's eyes, it was a sight that he could have waited a whole lifetime to see. Daniel's grip around his neck only tightened when Danny's thrusts became more urgent and violent. His moans grew louder and laboured by his parched throat. Danny tried not to hold back the pain which had began to escape him orally. Daniel was past the point of noticing.

Driving into Danny's most sensitive spot, the phantom assisted in thrusting as deeply as he could into the human boy. He felt the muscles tense around him once more and arched his spine. The both of them groaned and were lost in their dream. Danny felt the liquid spill inside him and jerked away with a whimper at the new sensation. He himself released only a moment later and fell on top of the phantom panting wildly.

Subconsciously he rolled onto the dewed grass and shuddered at the cold contact against his burning skin. He tried to push his limbs as far away from his body as possible but ended up nudging the ghost beside him. He felt fingers wrap around his hand and squeeze. He smiled and closed his eyes appreciating the adrenaline that still rushed through his body and the easing of the ache in his lower back.

The sky was considerably dark now. Amazingly, the rain seemed to have thinned down very much and came down as barely a drizzle. That was still enough to make Danny sneeze. It was cold now he'd rolled away from the warmth below him. Daniel looked as if he'd completely zoned out. His features were relaxed and his eyes closed. Danny's stomach fluttered as he saw the boy smile unexpectedly and squeeze his hand once again. The moon seemed to increase the depth in his glowing aura. Danny had never realised how perfect his skin was. Even now he had lifted a hand to his own face in disbelief. He felt he needed to talk as he glanced at the boy next to him.

He chuckled dryly. "Well now we know he the dominant one is, dude," he laughed as he turned his gaze to the sea. Daniel snorted in disgust and let go of his hand. Danny whined and turned to him before blushing.

"That would be me seeing I was the one inside you," the phantom said decisively. Danny paled and blinked a few times as reality caught up with him. The ghost didn't say anything but waited patiently for Danny.

"Uh… we just like had sex…" Daniel turned to him and watched as he blinked again, dumbfounded. He smiled to himself and leaned over his speechless twin dauntingly. Danny's eyes widened as he looked him up and down and blushed realising they were both naked. Daniel leaned down further and looked Danny in the eye and saw doubt begin to sink in.

"Why don't we just forget about that for tonight…" Daniel kissed the blushing boy softly on the lips and pulled him close. Danny submitted to the idea and pushed his tongue into Daniel's mouth and allowed himself to be pushed back against the grass. "Now what was your theory on who was the dominant one." Danny grinned and slammed the boy to the ground with all the intensions of having his way with him again…


	5. We Theatrical Two

**For those who wanted an update here it is. Aren't I nice?**

** I had to reply to this:**

**Meowth168 reply - well anyone who was going on a nice relaxing walk by the cliffs would have seen them. XD**

**I did some fanart of this on dA (because who isn't on dA?) The link's below for those who can be bothered to copy and paste it (without the spaces on the 'dots'):**

**http://www . deviantart . com/deviation/44410470/ **

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Danny pulled the body closer to him in his sleep and sighed comfortably in the heat. It proved so much easier to sleep when his phantom wasn't distant or hostile. He heard a low grunt transpire from the sleeping ghost. Danny grinned and hugged his neck tightly. At least when Daniel was asleep and unaware he felt it was okay to do this, if that made any sense at all, even though he'd be more than willing to do so awake also. 

Danny yawned and stretched his aching legs beneath the covers. Their 'activities' that evening had left his muscles excited and tense so it seemed almost impossible to sleep. Compared to the abysmal weather along the coast his bed was like heaven.

Danny placed a hand on the sleeping boy's face. It was cold and damp. Daniel winced at the soft touch and exhaled sleepily. Danny smiled and ran a thumb along his bitten lip blushing as he realised what had caused him to gnaw it so severely. An image flashed into his brain and he stirred uncomfortably. This was one of the main reasons he couldn't sleep. He felt to energized to rest. He felt like running twenty laps around the world!

Trailing his fingers soothingly through Daniel's silky white bangs he allowed the movement to stir a lost drowsiness inside him…

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Danny stirred and turned to his right reaching out for something to fill the empty space beside him. He managed to grab and handful of hair. He heard a yelp as he yanked it towards his chest and wrapped his body around the boy he'd acquired. Only moments later his eyes cracked open as he felt something jab his stomach and said boy sighed.

"You're sick, dude!" he exclaimed and shoved him to one side. Daniel laughed and tickled Danny under the chin tauntingly whilst leaning over him.

"Only lovesick for you-" Danny blushed and heatedly pushed the phantom off his bed with a satisfying grunt.

"Not lovesick, insane!" Daniel pouted and stood up pulling Danny out of his bed and steadying him on his feet. Danny yawned and allowed his eyelids to droop lazily. His ghostly twin smirked and took the opportunity to press his lips to the tired teen's. Danny pulled back in shock but found himself leaning back into it and wrapping his arms around Daniel's waist while intensifying the kiss keenly. Daniel was more than willing to comply.

When Daniel finally broke the kiss Danny refused to release his waist and leaned against his chest. Daniel tried to haul him off but Danny only looked up at him disobediently. "Well if you insist," Daniel chuckled and walked towards the bathroom. "But you'll have to be willing to come into the shower with me-" Danny's eyes widened and he released his ghost promptly, turning away to find some clothes to put on. Daniel grabbed his collar quickly and spoke, "Too late now, Daniel. You persist to come with me." He dragged a struggling Danny into the bathroom…

Danny leaned over the bath, his shrill moan masked by the shower water in the basin. Daniel continued to pinch his chest teasingly and nibble his neck. "I've got to go to school!" he complained and gasped as the ghost slid a hand down his stomach. He growled and turned on Daniel in annoyance at first. "Dude! I have to like leave for school in ten minutes! Can't we just like shower and… go?" He watched Daniel turn his face to the shower and run his fingers through his hair with closed eyes. "Dude?" Danny asked with an agitated tone towards being ignored.

Daniel continued to message his skin gently under the water spray. He allowed an appreciative sigh to escape his lips as the hot water rolled down his back. Danny watched as it ran down his skin and felt his stomach churn awkwardly. Turning his gaze away in a sudden urgency to leave the bathroom he felt a hand push him against the ceramic tiles and stroke his neck in a soothing motion. Danny felt his skin tense against the cold surface.

He gasped voluntarily as a finger was slowly pushed inside him and jerked himself round to face Daniel, blushing deeply. "Can't you wait 'till _after _school!?" he growled. Daniel pulled him into a hug. Danny felt his groin heat up at the feeling of the ghosts wet, sweaty flesh sliding across his own.

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"Danny?" Sam asked curiously as he opened the door and flashed her a peace sign with his hand.

"'sup?" She pushed past him with Tucker not far behind, tapping away on his PDA.

"Why haven't you fused back together?" she enquired. Danny thought for a moment before replying briefly, to Sam's annoyance.

"Should we? Anyway, who cares?"

"I don't," Tucker muttered without looking at either of his friends. Sam scowled at him while Danny span on his heel and headed up the stairs. "Where're you going man?" Tucker asked, before Sam had the chance, and finally looked up after him.

"To get my bag," Danny replied without turning around and entered his room casually, looking for the right books to pack. Daniel sat up from the bed and smiled, gliding over to him with his bag already packed. Danny looked up at him and took the bag. "Ah, thanks dude."

"No quandary at all, Daniel. I may stay here for the morning. I think lack of sleep is catching up with me." He fell back against the pillow and waved the human off lazily. Danny frowned and sat on the bed next to him.

"So… that's like… it?" Danny opened an eye and smirked. He grabbed the back of Danny's neck and pulled him down into a soft kiss on the lips before releasing him.

"That is it…" He kept his eyes open just long enough to see Danny blush.

The room suddenly felt cold Daniel saw his ghost sense go off just while Danny left the room. He glanced out the window silently and spotted what had triggered it. Waiting until after Danny had left he got up and flew through the wall in close pursuit of his ghostly foe.

He pulled closer as the masked ghost stopped to survey the park. Daniel narrowed his eyes as he saw it pull out a rod like object glowing with ectoplasm. "One of Walker's? Not beneficial…" he mused to himself realising that the ghost did match rather well except with a few upgrades. He watched it dive down and disappear out of view. "Well he's not up to anything yet. Perhaps I should just tell Danny…" he thought about that for a second. What would Danny think of this news? He'd probably shrug it off and go bowling. Daniel snorted but thought it best to warn him anyway. If Walker was after him at least he'd be aware of it.

Meanwhile, Danny walked beside his friends into the school. Amazingly they were before the bell. Danny sighed in annoyance, he hated waiting around for first lesson.

"Umm… why haven't you two fused back together yet?" Sam asked again. It seemed that she was getting suspicious. Danny cussed to himself and came up with a good lie. He liked the way he could do that when he was separated.

"The parents are in the lab like all the time," he answered unenthusiastically. Sam nodded and folded her arms as they stood in front of Tucker's locker. He already had all his books. Tucker pulled out his PDA and checked what books he'd need for the day before piling them in his bag hurriedly when he caught a glance at the time.

Sam watched as Danny jerked his head to the side urgently and froze as if listening to something. He blushed and she raised an eyebrow. Since when does 'fun' Danny listen to _anything? _And why the blush? Suddenly whirling round, he grabbed both Tucker and Sam and dragged them out the school double doors.

"What the hell, man?" Tucker complained, clinging to his technology for dear life. Danny released them just as the bell went behind the school, out of sight.

"This had better be good Danny!" Sam warned and yelped in surprise as Daniel appeared at Danny's side with a hand on his shoulder.

"Believe me dudes, it is." Daniel flicked him in the ear scornfully and stepped in front of him. Danny growled and rubbed the side of his face.

"Don't even attempt to be serious. Your half of our brain is incapable of-" Danny clamped a hand around his mouth. He felt something warm and wet trail along his fingers and withdrew his hand quickly with a squeak.

"You licked me dude! That's disgusting!" Daniel and Tucker laughed and Sam looked between Danny and Daniel not amused. Danny blushed and clenched his fists, playfully punching his ghost in the arm.

"Look," Sam finally piped up, "I'm glad you theatrical two made up but we're missing lessons so this had better be quick!" Daniel turned to her and nodded while trying to wipe the amused grin from his face and ignore Danny's adorable flushed face. He coughed to clear his throat and nudged Danny. The boy walked up next to him and explained what they were skipping lessons to discuss.

"Apparently, if you really want to trust what this ass-head says…" Daniel pouted but Danny continued and ignored him, "then Walker's planning some sort of attack on Amity." Sam and Tucker listened silently for him to continue.

Daniel continued the explanation. "Just before you departed for your education I found four of his henchmen patrolling the streets deviously. They are not causing any damage but they are looking for something. Whether it is Daniel or not, I am unsure. I decided not to show my face in case they had some sort of upgraded equipment against me."

"You're full ghost now, dude. If they had equipment against you they'd still think you were a halfa so it wouldn't like be effective right?" Danny pointed out. Sam was quite surprised by his sudden knowledgably reply. He seemed quite dedicated to the subject which she found odd. She watched as he glanced at his ghost in the occasional interval with a slight look of uneasiness.

"I'm sure they wield equipment for full ghosts as well, if not positive, and many reinforcements somewhere in the town." Daniel turned but stopped as he heard Danny start talking and then close his mouth. He smirked and turned around again. "Yes, Daniel?"

Danny flushed noticeably, "Shall I like g-go with you?" he stammered. Sam immediately stepped in front of him with a heated look on her face. Daniel felt his heart skip a beat. _She's noticed something?_

"You're not going with him," she shook her head frantically, "Definitely not!" Danny winced away from her and Daniel snorted at how scared he looked. He knew what was coming. "You're not skipping school and leaving us to explain why we're late!" her anger wavered as she spotted Danny glance at the floor. "I'm sure Danny can take care of this by himself," she added more softly, "you don't have to worry."

Daniel listened intently. Danny was worried? He smiled compassionately but was interrupted as he was about to speak.

"That's just the point though. He isn't Danny without me and…" Danny looked to his phantom pleadingly. Daniel felt his stomach flutter as he looked him in the eye. How could he refuse?

"He is right. I cannot fight as effectively without my human counterpart with me." Sam sighed in exasperation and stepped out of Danny's way. Danny grinned dopily and strolled to stand beside his ghost. Danny grabbed his hand behind his back unexpectedly and Daniel felt his face heat up.

"Just think of it like this, I'd have had to skip lessons anyway if I wasn't split," he laughed as Daniel grabbed his waist and legs and lifted him from the ground while he waved a sarcastic farewell. Sam fumed below them and Tucker looked fretfully at the mood Danny was planning to leave Sam in for him to deal with!


	6. Daily Hero

**Okay- for those who are confused, Daniel calls Danny Daniel and Danny calls Daniel… dude. Has he even called Daniel by his name yet? Anyway, Sam and Tucker call them both Danny which may get really confusing so I'll try to make it as straightforward as possible for you when I type it.**

**Just to get Walker's character right, I took the liberty of watching both 'Prisoners of love' and 'Public enemies'. I hate it when I make my stories out of character, unless it's planned obviously, so I do my best to keep it all in check, even if that means reading a chapter loads of times. I end up improving on it even after it's posted but I guess that would be for my own enjoyment rather than my audience. **

** Well enjoy the story, because I enjoy your reviews. Especially when I need a push to get me writing.  
**

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"What a way to bunk Lancer's English class!" Danny whooped as Daniel scanned the area they flew over feverishly. He glanced down at  
Danny who was grinning from ear to ear and scowled. 

"Is that all you think about?" Danny froze for a second and shook his head.

"Is not dude. I just totally hate his classes-" Daniel chuckled to himself. Danny peered up at him in question.

"So what else do you think about?" Daniel whispered without looking down. Danny didn't reply and just tightened his grip on his phantom's waist as he quivered by the chilly breeze. "Do you think about me at all, Daniel?" He grinned as he saw Danny's face redden considerably at that point. Removing Danny's jacket from his bag and sliding it over his shoulders he lowered his tone further. "Do you think about a 'certain night' at all, Daniel?"

"Screw you!" Danny pulled the sleeves up his arms and crossed them peevishly.

"Yes, please." Danny twisted in his cradle and hung from his Phantom's neck, kissing him delicately on the lips. Daniel dipped in the sky with temporary shock but returned the kiss gently when he finally recovered. He felt the human's hair tickle his cheek as a light breeze caught hold of them. Danny pulled back and cast a distant expression. Daniel felt upset when he saw that and let his lips linger in the kiss that hadn't long been broken.

"We've…" Danny sighed, "We've gotta stop doing this…" He looked at the concern Daniel was displaying and smiled. "Seriously, dude. Things are fun while they last but… even you've gotta know that it's not gonna work." Daniel parted his lips to speak but exhaled and copied Danny's smile.

"If you didn't doubt so much then-" Danny shook his head and looked away sulkily. Daniel couldn't help but cast a genuine smile at his immature response. Perhaps he should just lay off a bit… or even… Why not give him a push and make him see how misleading questions could be? If he could get the boy to trust what was going on then maybe he'd pass the doubting stage and accept the situation more willingly. It was worth a try but right now there were more important things taking place like the fact that both their lives were in danger. He understood why Danny was finding it so hard to accept this but, he didn't he want it? Well that was out of the question, Daniel noted as he recalled the fact that Danny had been the one to start all this off anyway!

"You're being waaay too quiet, dude." Daniel felt a slight rush of adrenaline sting his muscles as he was ripped from his thoughts by his twin's suspicious enquiry.

"I'm just musing…" Daniel replied now concentrating on inspecting the town below rather than his carefully stowed away plan.

"And what do _you _think about?" Danny asked innocently though Daniel could have _sworn _he heard a slight suggestive hint in his voice. He would have grinned to himself if it wouldn't rouse scepticism. _I feel it won't be long before he _cracks.

"I consider what plans Walker is up to and what sort of weapons I may encounter when facing his modernized minions." Danny nodded and glanced below them. The slight gasp that escaped his throat caught Daniel's attention and he himself realised why as he followed Danny's gaze towards a courtyard behind one of the empty warehouses just inside the suburbs. The place was rather run down and was a perfect spot for a ghostly gathering to take place. It seemed that they weren't the only two who'd noted this.

"Pounding poltergeists!" Danny snorted discretely. "There must be over fifty of them excluding Walker!" Daniel declared. He went to fly down but Danny pulled at his suit to catch his attention.

"Dude, I _really _don't think that's a good idea!" he said hurriedly as loud as he dared. Daniel came to a halt and gritted his teeth in aggravation.

"I do not wish to put you down anywhere in fear of your safety but I'd also rather not appear in our unmerged state." Danny closed his eyes in desperate thought whilst Daniel fretted in silence.

Danny's eyes lit up as he seemed to process a decent suggestion. Daniel listened intently. He knew Danny wasn't dumb when it came to fighting ghosts.

"Uh, dude, say if you were to like overshadow me then you could still use all your powers but in my body right?" Daniel nodded at the idea but then progressively began to shake his head until he was using arm gestures, as best he could whilst carrying Danny, to show how much he disagreed with the idea.

"If I were to use your body like that you would have no control of any motion I made, nor would you be capable of communication with me." Danny opened his mouth to retort but the ghost continued to lecture his worries. "Also, and important to the utmost, any damage inflicted in battle will be felt by you when I leave you're body-"

"Well it'll hurt you instead then, dude, _and _we'll be in an awkward situation. If you like overshadowed me, yeah I'd take the damage, but it'll sort out the separate bodies problem. What does it matter if I get hurt instead of you?" Daniel sought an answer for that but it just wouldn't come. Perhaps Danny was feeling the same about him. Perhaps Danny was willing to get seriously hurt if it meant that the pain was only short lived for Daniel.

"It just does matter. If I overshadow you I will feel it at the time and you'll feel it afterwards whereas if I did not only I would feel it. It would be better… for both of us."

Danny shook his head. "You mean for me." Danny looked at him seriously and, for once, it suited him better than it ever had before. "You can beat this guy hands down, I mean, you… we beat Pariah, dude! If we work together we can beat anyone!" Daniel felt exaggeration in his words. It only helped to make him even less cooperative with the idea.

"With so many enemies to battle I am sure to get hurt if not…" He looked down at the mass meeting and sighed hopelessly. He closed his eyes and desperately searched for a better solution. Couldn't they just fly back and remerge?

"I trust you." Daniel opened his eyes to find Danny smiling at him eagerly. He saw Danny laugh at the taken aback expression he must be displaying. "You play the hero well, oh he who saves the day and not himself." Daniel felt his chest tighten. He felt so much adoration for this boy. For his ability to come up with such a simple witty phrase that was just enough to cause his pulse rate to double in a matter of seconds. He reached an intangible hand into Danny's chest; into his heart.

"Well now, isn't that what you're here to do…?" Danny's eyes widened and only a moment later the crystal blue was cloaked by a determined luminous green. He dropped a few metres before regaining his powers. Daniel patted himself down to be sure all the limbs were working fine and descended gradually towards the throng of promoted ghosts and their intolerable leader.

As he approached he felt himself running his fingers through his hair as if to calm himself down. The jacket that flapped about his back was getting increasingly annoying. How come his cape wasn't this irritating? He froze as he saw Walker make a sudden move but released a shuddering breath when he realised that it was only an emphasising action to do with his speech. Since when did Walker hold lectures and since when was Daniel so goddamn wary? He puffed out his chest boldly and chuckled at the mental image he had of Danny doing the same.

He flew discreetly behind a stack of rusty barrels and watched as Walker continued to command his men. To his frustration none of the men were commanded to leave the premises. That meant he'd have to fight all of these ghosts at one time which he'd only done successfully before because of his rivals' help and even then he was in the Fenton ecto-skeleton fighting off Pariah's mass skeleton crew. Other than that he'd never fought such a large number at one time especially not on his own. _But did this even count as being alone? _He looked down at Danny's bare hand and clenched it into a fist.

Taking a deep breath he emerged from behind the stack of empty oil drums and screamed his ghostly wail out across the throngs (obviously not capable of 'going ghost'). The ghosts all gripped their ears swiftly as they were pushed across the grounds and into the opposing fence.

When Daniel felt light headedness kick in he ceased the piercing howl and tried to pull himself together before Walker recovered. He noted with distress that none of the guards had been exposed long enough to disappear. Walker recuperated quicker than Daniel had hoped he would and launched Daniel's way furiously. The boy ducked the fist that reached for his gullet and flew desperately towards a weak looking group of guards, determined to lower the numbers before facing an enraged Walker.

Shooting at them he managed to steal one of their weapons and fire a portal which dispelled any enemy near it back to the ghost zone. Walker smirked and directed his ghosts to surround Daniel. It was only after he caught the look on Walker's face that he realised he was out of ammunition.

"I borrowed the design from your parents," he jeered at Daniel. "And borrowing isn't against the rules." Daniel looked desperately about himself for something to use; a weaker guard or- "They're waiting for you, back in the ghost zone where you belong." -a stray weapon. He spotted a ghost nearby who was panting more than his neighbours.

Daniel zeroed in on him and grabbed his weapon after kicking him forcefully in the face. Ignoring the ectoplasm which now stained his trainers he fired the weapon at his feet and jumped up as the portal sucked the ghosts within a five metre radius of him back into the ghost zone. Walker frowned and crushed his hand into the boy's windpipe while ripping the weapon from his grasp and throwing it onto the floor.

"It might have been clever showing up in your human form son but _that _was violating the rules and I've changed them to suit half human scum like you." Daniel charged his hand with ectoplasm and clasped Walker's arm. The law obsessed ghost howled in pain and freed Daniel. Clasping his arm he shouted, "I want him brought to me too spineless to talk back. Go!"

Daniel fled the scene but with his oxygen debt not yet repaid he found himself easily pursued. Walker's soldiers surrounded him. He turned on one with glowing fists but suddenly he was gripping the back of his head; reflexes too fast for his brain to catch up. An ache in his skull. Then he finally realised that they were all rushing at him, cutting his skin with green glowing rods. They weren't made of ectoplasm but some sort of electrified tube that cut into his human flesh. He lashed out at the ghost closest to him and grabbed their weapon. Just as he'd grasped the handle he felt his arm crack as it was batted away brutally.

Repeatedly he bit his lip until he could taste the blood he'd drawn. The pain would distract him for a second but then it all came back. The reality of what was happening. Trying to ready his body for attack he paled as it rapidly rejected his command. He was beaten?! He panicked when he realised he couldn't move his arm and swung his fist around without aim. Only managing to knock three of the ghosts out of his way, he escaped the crowd. Gliding under the shelter of the trees he turned when a whistling noise was heard behind him.

Walker heckled as he punched the boy in the face knocking him onto the grass with a long pained whimper. Daniel's skin was on fire. He lifted his head off the grass lowered his gaze to the arm that landed next to his ear. He strained his muscles but only managed to twitch his fingers… Danny's fingers.

_Daniel's not going to be happy, _he thought to himself trying to take his mind off the patchwork of wounds that ran up his arms and the coarse throbbing inside his skull. The feeling of hot liquid dripping from his skin caused his head to spin. He laughed pathetically. _Not happy… at all… _His head dropped back onto the soil with a thud.

_Horrific wounds… _he thought, _he's going to bleed everywhere. He's going to scream in pain. I feel so weak… He's going to hate you! _

Danny cracked his eyes open and winced. "What?" He croaked as Walker leaned over him with a clueless grin. "What…" He felt something squeeze his numb hand and let his eyes roll back in his sockets.

_Don't hate me…_


	7. Dainty Defectors!

**I was going to make this chapter longer but it took me long enough to write it as it is anyway so enjoy the update. I look forward to your reviews 6347852 **

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The first to come back was smell. It smelt of blood or rusty metal and sweat. It was so strong he could almost taste it. Taste… that must have come next. He could taste blood. Then he could hear something. His brain was tired, he couldn't recognise what it was but listening to it made the panic that had begun to stir settle down. A quiet shallow noise. It made him feel that safe until he heard gurgling blood and something splatter the floor. Trying to scuttle away closer to the wall all he managed to do was lift his eyelids a bit.

It was a dark room. So dark he could barely register any colours… apart from a dark dry red. It covered most of the floor he could see. Swaying his gaze downwards he could barely find his feet. He noticed something green glowing on his shoes and hands. What was that? His eyes opened a bit more. _Ghost blood…_

He looked down to his clothes. No colour but red or was that blue. He was wearing jeans, it would be blue. Blue and red didn't go very well. They made him feel sick. That was too literal. He leaned to his right and gagged onto the floor. Coughing out the last of his vomit his throat burned bitterly. _God, that tasted bad._

Then something caught his eye. Was it white? Yes. A dull white glow. He turned his body and hissed against the pain that stung his bones. Settling down he watched the glow. What did that belong to? It seemed to depict a shape. Danny recognised it. He watched it move slightly as if breathless. He felt sick. Sick to his heart. Swallowing against the gag reflex he tried to speak.

"D-d-d…" The boy looked up. Green. Another colour. A deep hopeful and concerned green. He'd missed that. Colour. "You… w-w…" The boy began crawling his way. He realised that their face looked swollen, one eyelid too sore to open properly. He felt vomit gather up in his throat again as he heard a wet viscous sound when their knees dragged the floor.

As the figure neared he saw more green. _A lot _more green. It was trailed along the floor behind the boy and dripping from his body. Unable to turn away from the approaching silhouette his eyes widened when they collapsed against him and choked. The green blood spattered his face.

"D-d-daniel?" he asked weakly. Was this tears? No. His vision clouded over as the green liquid ran into his eyes. He felt like crying but his throat stung when he began to sob. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall. He croaked pitifully when the boy coughed again. He felt more liquid splash his face. What had happened? Last he remembered they were flying over Walker's army arguing about using his body to-

"Alright?" Daniel asked faintly, his voice vibration roughly in his throat. Danny felt a hand ghost over his skin and shivered. "T-trust me?" He forced what sounded like a laugh but ended up retching onto the floor again. Not vomit. Danny pushed Daniel's hand from his stomach and clasped it as tightly as he could. "You… don't hate m-me?" Danny looked down at the phantom. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Fucking l-loathe you." Danny pulled his ghost into a needed firm hug. Daniel cuddled his waist and silently bled into his shirt.

"Y-you are…" Daniel began but stopped when Danny began to rub his spine soothingly and groaned at the motion.

"Even when you're n-nearly k-killed you talk too much…"

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Sam stood outside the school with Tucker and waited. It didn't look like Danny was going to be coming back any time soon. Tucker was breathing onto his hands trying to warm them up to no avail. Sam placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him to walk with her.

"I wonder if he needs our help," Tucker said and Sam looked to the sky absently. "You'd have thought I'd be worried but I'm not."

"I'm not sure what it's gonna take to fuse those two back together," Sam mused. Tucker listened while trying to use his overheated PDA to keep his fingers from freezing. "He hasn't stayed separated for this long before. I think even Danny is going off the idea now."

"Which Danny?" Sam turned to him and took his computer off him.

"Phantom," she answered simply and looked at the computer. "Do you think we could try and search for Danny here, I mean, around Amity?" Tucker snatched his machine back and shook his head.

"He didn't take anything we could use to detect him by. The thermos might have worked but…" he finished without needing to complete the sentence. "We should have gone with him or at least given him something." Sam thought for a second.

"Well if we can't look for him here we could always look in the ghost zone. If Walker's caught him then that is definitely where he'd be."

Tucker's face lit up. "Yeah. We could always use the spectre speeder radar to find him unless they've remerged somehow, which I find highly unlikely."

"It's too bad the radar only shows an icon. It'd be great if we could see where he was and what was happening…" She may have even been suggesting something to her friend then.

Tucker smirked, "If I were to hook my PDA in with the locating system I may be able to program a recorder onto the detector. The only problem is, without Danny, we can't really find an excuse to go in the lab and fiddle around with it."

Sam grinned. "Oh, I'm sure _I _can…"

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Danny couldn't look away, no matter how far the sight made his stomach drop. He'd woken up only seconds earlier in a sweat to overhear a very loud argument which had flared up between Daniel and the guard currently being fought physically rather than verbally. The guard had clubbed Daniel across the face twice and still insisted on shooting him in the chest until his wounds began to weep again. Daniel was screaming through gritted teeth.

Danny gripped his chest and shakily pushed himself to his feet to creep closer without either ghost noticing. It was so dark he could only see the both of them by their white luminous glow, one which he did not possess.

When he was close enough he attempted to snatch the weapon from Walker's soldier but was parried away before he'd reached it receiving a painless strike to his arm. The arm that had taken the blow was already numb and lifeless from Daniel's fight. Danny landed on top of his phantom who harshly had the wind knocked out of him.

"S-sorry!" Danny croaked urgently and rolled off him into something cold and wet. He shuddered on contact.

"You sh-shouldn't g-get involved," Daniel warned and got onto his hands and knees, choking noisily. "They h-have new technology against humans like y-you." Danny noted the embarrassed tone that Daniel was sporting. He frowned discreetly and noticed that the red on the ghost's cheeks he'd previously thought was blood or dirt wasn't rubbing off while he scrubbed his face. Daniel turned away when he realised that Danny was staring at him.

"W-what happened?" Danny asked rather than commanded. He didn't know whether to be humoured or concerned. Daniel lay back against him and felt Danny shift into a more comfortable position against the wall. He wasn't willing to tell the boy at all but it looked like he'd have to now.

Danny had fallen asleep shortly after they'd finished talking about an hour ago. Daniel had tried to sleep but it sounded like his twin was suffering from a bad dream. Daniel told him this. "You kept whimpering and shouting things. I t-tried to calm you but whenever I t-touched you, you…" Danny felt the heat from Daniel's face through his shirt. "…k-kept _moaning." _He paused for a second. _"_The guard was telling me to shut you up but you would only get louder whenever I t-tried to." Danny felt himself begin to blush now. "He was g-going to inject you with something but I would not let him."

Danny tried to recall the dream as they sat quietly, Daniel hissing breaths to dull the pain in his newly sustained injuries. He couldn't remember at all what it was. He didn't even remember dreaming at all. All he did remember was the rush of fear he'd felt when he was finally woke up. "What sort of things was I shouting?"

Daniel swallowed pointlessly and struggled to speak through his parched throat. "I-I could not make it out but after I had started trying to hush you, you just kept moaning… no words." Danny sat in thoughtful silence while Daniel wheezed against his chest.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Danny whispered into Daniel's ear making him flinch. Danny could see panic flash through his eyes. He was going to put his hand on the boy's shoulder to calm him down but he needed to use his only working arm to stop the bleeding from the ghost's stomach.

Daniel shook his head and his neck cricked. "That is what I've been thinking about but it seems impossible to think of anything when my brain remains so rattled…" Danny heard a sore cough pass his raw vocal chords. Daniel turned to look at him for a second before averting his gaze as if ashamed. As Danny caught a glimpse of his green glowing eyes an idea hit him like a tonne of bricks. He even found himself wheeze when it hit.

"Dude!" he exclaimed excitedly and smiled when he saw Daniel's face light up in the recognition of the word. "I just got an awesome idea," he whispered into his Phantom's ear. The ghost listened intently trying to act normal as he saw the guard twitch outside their cell. "If you were to like overshadow me again-"

"Have we not used that trick enough?" Daniel sighed. Danny continued anyway just in case anything else changed his mind.

"It would look like you've disappeared and when they're not expecting it we make a run for it. You can use your powers and they won't be expecting it. They didn't actually see up separate did they?"

"Yes, they did." Danny's face fell and he'd just begun to rematch a new idea when the phantom exclaimed loudly, "Dainty defectors!" Danny snorted but let him continue. "No! You're right!" he whispered urgently and excitedly. He lowered his voice and hissed, "They thought it was their _weapons _that separated us! Foolish thug men, overshadowing never crossed their mind!" He began to choke with happiness and Danny whacked him on the back to stop it.

"You need a drink," Danny muttered, secretly delighted that the ghost hadn't lost his personality. He could almost kiss him. Almost.

"Is your mouth not dry?" the phantom asked. Danny shook his head. His mouth was wet enough for the two of them. He frantically shook that idea from his head and changed the subject with coloured cheeks. He began with a stutter not caused by a raw throat.

"H-how about when the guard goes to get his food," Danny started, remembering what the guard had been spitting at Daniel about them not being let out for a week, even to eat, during their little brawl. "Then when he gets beck it'll look like you've disappeared. I'll act like you escaped or something."

"Or you could act distraught like I had just disappeared into thin air. That would make them worry. When the guard comes in to examine what's happened I could blast them all out the way and try our escape."

"It think it would be better if you were to like not use your powers until nearly out or they'll know what to expect." Daniel smirked and looked up at Danny who followed suit. Daniel rolled onto his knees and squatted opposite his twin.

"Sound like a plan?" he grinned and held out his hand.

"One hell of one!" Danny agreed and clasped the hand tightly, shaking on it.


	8. Renegades

**I submitted this chapter yesterday but I never got a confirmation e-mail so I've been forced to delete it and try again. I wrote most of this last night and haven't reread quite a bit of it so mistakes may be more prominent in this chapter.**

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It was hard to believe but Danny couldn't turn away from it as he watched the boy splutter before recovering and continue snoring quietly. That's what his heart would do under this ghost's stare. His heart would splutter. He felt it now as Daniel opened his eyes for a second before closing them again and wrapping Danny's shirt in his fingers.

He sighed and lay his head back against the slimy wall. He was taunted and heckled by this world and it's occupants. Sometimes he was sure that someone was controlling him, like clockwork, rather than just watching what he chose to do. As much as he didn't like that feeling there was nothing he could do about it. He froze as he felt a hand slide down his stomach and catch on his trouser rim. He glanced down at Daniel who had stopped snoring now. Danny saw him click his tongue and blink a few times pushing his hand unconsciously to an uncomfortable spot.

Danny willed himself to move but he feared he'd only make their situation worse. Instead he took Daniel's hand in his and gratefully, to some extent, hugged it to his chest. The ghost's face glowed pleasantly as he cleared his head and squinted up at Danny before breaking into a warming smile. "Good morning, Daniel."

There it went again. The rush of blood as his pulse rate sped. Amused by the length of spit that trailed from Daniel's mouth to his shirt he wiped it away. The ghost groaned and sat up, accidentally brushing his lips against Danny's neck as he did so. As a pleasant memory flashed across his vision he suppressed a shudder and continued to silently admit to himself what his reality was. Daniel stretched and lost his balance falling flat on his back with an unpleasant splat. Danny chuckled and helped him back onto his knees.

The inevitable truth was, Danny was falling head over heels in love with Daniel…

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The hall was full of soldiers when he finally reached the queue. He placed his tray down and warily eyed the slimy substance that dripped from the cook's ladle.

"What today?" he asked plainly in his usual gruff voice. The cook glanced his way. Her eyes glowed dangerously.

"The usual, _sir. _Do you have a problem with that?" The guard shook his head and grimaced as the sludge splattered over the edge of his plate as it was poured from it's spoon.

His bad mood was immediately lifted as he heard a woeful holler come from the direction of his cell. He grinned from ear to ear at the sound. The ghosts about him all smirked at the sound but cast him jealous glares when he passed them to take care of his prisoner, leaving his dirty tray of 'food' behind.

As he approached his cell he realised just how irritating the noise got when amplified by an empty stone corridor. He flew up to the bars and his eyes fell upon the human boy from which the racket came. He was too preoccupied currently to even notice that the ghost was missing or even that the boy had a light aura about his usually dull body.

The human was crying out at the top of his lungs. He was obviously distressed. The guard growled and shot him in the chest, satisfied with the loud grunt and grateful silence that followed.

"What happened?" he asked and looked about the prison for the kid's cellmate only to find it worryingly empty. He noticed a flash pass trough the teens eyes as he sat up and began to sob.

"He just disappeared…" Daniel blubbered. How Danny would _hate _this. He would cry out of embarrassment rather than fake misery now. Daniel wasn't that keen on acting so pathetic but it was quite fun to fool the ghost. He accidentally glared at the guard for a second before rubbing his eyes. Danny had definitely preferred his plan of acting angry that Daniel had escaped and left him behind over this,even if that was less effective. Daniel on the other hand insisted that it was done this way. It was so much easier to act out.

He could have laughed at the expression shown by the guardian ghost now. The utter panic that crossed his face. "What do you mean _disappeared?!" _he screamed and shot again. Daniel was getting increasingly annoyed by this. He felt his fists glow for a second and backed up against the fall wall and collapsed into what looked like a depressed sob fit. Just as he suspected, he heard the gate crash open and the guard charge towards him. Immediately he leapt up and charged through the guard and out into the corridor, wiping his running nose as he went.

He heard an alarmed shout from behind him and dashed around a wall, decking two soldiers who stood in his way. The run was taxing on his stiff and battered body but he managed to push himself forward, perhaps fuelled by fear as angry howls were heard behind him and shots were fired. One or two managed to catch up with him but they were weapons against humans so he easily managed to shrug them off without spooking his chasers too much.

He skidded around another corner catching some moss which sent him crashing into a wall. He took the opportunity to glance behind at his enemies progress. As he realised that they were closing in a lot faster than he thought he charged at the exit thinking it about time to create and ectoplasm shield about himself as he pounded the wooden doors with his only arm that would work. To his horror they wouldn't budge or let him phase through. Thinking quickly he turned to the army that had stopped behind him he let the shield drop and awaited their attack. He seethed when they began laughing at him and heckling.

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"There's a ghost at Casper High!?" Jack Fenton repeated loudly. Sam lifted an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "Maddie!" the large man called and pulled some sort of ghost hunting contraption from nowhere.

"What is it dear?" she asked politely as she entered the room and strolled towards Danny's friends. "What are you two doing here? Where's Danny?"

"There's a ghost at Casper High!" Jack exclaimed again and Maddie repeated it in shock.

"Are you sure Jack?" The old man nodded wildly and ran from the house with Maddie not far behind.

"That worked," Tucker said after a moments silence and the two hurried down into the lab. Running up to the desired vehicle Tucker jammed a wire into a port on his PDA and began pushing buttons quickly. Sam watched the system on the Spectre Speeder as it detected a 'real word item' and showed the unmistakably icon of Danny Fenton on the screen. After some time the display fuzzed off. Sam passed Tucker a questionable look. He hopped into the seat next to her and smirked. As he pulled the wire from his computer the radar flashed back on but with a small screen in the corner.

Sam squinted down at it and both the friends gasped at what they saw. Danny was stood with his back to two large bolted doors. His clothed were ripped and stained with blood of both the dead and undead. One of his arms hung limply by his side and the other was held before him in a defensive way. Although he had a threatening act on they could definitely see the fear behind his eyes, one of which was black and barely even open.

The thing that shocked Sam most wasn't the fact that he was covered in all these horrific and probably infected injuries but that Daniel was no where to be seen in the havoc about him. She could recognise the other ghosts as Walker's new and improved henchmen and his whereabouts as ghost prison. She gave Tucker a worried and wary glance before kick-starting the Spectre Speeder and plummeting into the ghost zone as fast as its limit would allow.

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As he stood there, unmoving, he began to crumble under the pain of his injuries. He knew if he stood there any longer without moving it would all come rushing back and he'd probably collapse. He was backed up against the doors and trying his best to use his arm as some sort of shield for his face, which held one of the most painful injuries aside from his unresponsive arm. His breath was slowly becoming harder to control as his state deteriorated. His eyes were barely open now and it took all of his will power to not fall asleep on his feet.

He found himself reaching into his jean pocket and stopping his defensive act. The guards lifted their weapons threateningly. He tried to pull his hand back but realised that Danny had control of it. He was so weak that the overshadowing was already coming apart. When his hand clasped something he realised, with great amusement, that he was holding a small gun. He chuckled dryly. Even still he'd probably not get very far but it was good to know that Danny wasn't as stupid as he made out.

He couldn't possibly kill off any of the ghost ahead with such a small laser but he knew what it was for. He span around to face the bolt behind him and ducked as a round was fired at him. He rolled to his left and the gun was quickly aimed and fired at the bolt by Danny. Daniel realised, with fascination, that the ectoplasm came out in a long green stream that looked a lot like liquid lava and sliced the metal in half. He burst through the doors and took flight as the gun was continually fired at the opponents following.

He picked up speed and swooped from the island and into the dark green depths of the ghost zone, whooping loudly as he went. He was a whole lot faster than Walker's advancing troops but was immediately slowed down as his ghost separated unexpectedly from Danny's body.

Danny cried out when he was caught by his likely broken arm. He felt his ripped muscles grind against the bone beneath his skin and whimpered loudly through grinding teeth. It wasn't long before he was cradled tightly in his apologetic ghost's arms. He looked up at Daniel sombrely but couldn't stop the smile when he realised that his phantom was beaming down at him.

"I didn't know you stole your mother's gun…" he laughed simply and gave Danny an appreciative hug before diving beneath a large spread of mist in attempt to disguise the two as they spoke.

"I didn't steal it! She forced it on me when I left the house," he whined. Daniel smirked to himself. So much for his supposed burst of intelligence. Wouldn't that have reminded him to get the Thermos?

"Well either way I believe it just saved both of our lives. Thank our mother won't you?" Danny was about to object with 'my mother!' but smiled shyly at the compassionate gaze sent his way. He felt a warm sensation creep up his neck.

"I will," he grunted and turned his face away before the blush became too obviously. Daniel was slowing considerably and had begun to sweat. Danny noticed this and also the approaching enemy which was going to catch up no doubt if they kept up this pace. He grabbed a passing door and dragged it open, chucking both him and Daniel in before the ghost could object.

Something swamped them as soon as they entered. Danny panicked and let out a breath only to realise what a mistake this was when it was too late. They were only metres above a bed of sand underwater. Daniel swerved in front of Danny and clasped his hand over his mouth before all of his oxygen had escaped and held it there while dragging the boy forward to a destination which Danny could not see. He felt weak as the water gathered in his clothes and tried to pull him away from Daniel. He kicked out at it, half in frustration but also in the want to keep up with his ghost.

Daniel reached forward and pulled a door open, from what seemed like nowhere, and flew in leaving Danny to struggle through after him.

"What?" Danny asked rhetorically as his feet left the floor. Gripping the door handle he slammed it shut behind him before it was out of his reach. He smiled as the sea's dank depths disappeared from view. Spinning around awkwardly he gasped as a glorious castle came into view. He was levitating over a marble paved trail which seemed to go on behind him for miles once the door had closed and vanished. It lead through what looked like empty sky. He gazed in awe at the perfect dreamland clouds which hovered over his head and swept behind the stunning building ahead. He noted this now and began to direct himself it's way with a clumsy and slow swimming motion. Ahead the sky changed colour. The castle seemed to glow against a deep orange sky which mimicked that of the setting sun while it remained lilac and pale blue in any other direction.

A large violet bricked wall encased the palace on the outside and the actual structure was that of a fairytale castle. It's steeples curved elegantly in a concave contour and were topped with flags that seemed to sparkle in the light and change colour as they billowed in the mild breeze that caught them. He spotted, as he neared, a couple of large spread empty balconies.

He glanced up only just now realising the other presence that floated only a few feet above him. Daniel had spread his limbs gracefully and allowed the convection in the air to carry him. He'd closed his eyes against such a unique sensation. Danny found himself directing his swimming his way. As he got the hang of the repetitive motion it seemed more fluent as if he were gliding through water.

Daniel's pale skin blended into the sky but not enough to not be noticed, in fact, Danny couldn't take his eyes off him. He let his pace settle to a slow glide in front of his phantom and closed his eyes in a dream as a stray wind pushed their lips together and fluttered his clothes against his skin pleasantly. Wanting to open his eyes now, Danny felt a hand touch his cheek softly and stroke his skin. Everything was like a dream. A moment that reality could never match. Upsetting even.

He sighed at the cool zephyr which caught his warmed lips when Daniel finally pulled away. He felt his heart snap and immediately began to cry. Daniel looked on him mournfully as he choked out heartbroken sobs and doubled over. He pulled the distraught boy into a tight embrace and buried his face in his hair. Danny threw his arms around Daniel's shoulders and cried into his neck.

"This place is dangerous…" Daniel told the boy even though he wasn't listening. "I should never have brought you here." He had felt an uneasy sensation as he'd opened the door. It was the sort of zone that was capable of interfering with human emotions. He pulled Danny in a direction he knew there was a door and flew out himself before pulling the weeping teen behind him.


	9. Ice Cold

**I'm being nice and updating. If this chapter's lousy, my apologies but it was a quick update and I haven't re-read _any _of this chapter so mistakes are likely... and it's probably lousy but the plot does preogress so don't complain.**

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"Turn right!" Sam refrained from insulting her coloured friend as he crashed into yet another purple door. It ricocheted of the vehicle's shell and floated into the darkness behind them. "Let me drive," she commanded and shoved him into her previous seat, taking the wheel. 

They'd been soaring about the zone for nearly half an hour but seemed to be getting to closer to Danny. The recording on the radar had been interfering with the tracking system so they could only check it every now and then. She'd caught them running through a door that lead underwater and had watched to see them make it through and into a drier place. She'd been curious to continue watching but Tucker insisted they kept the tracker up after that or they'd lose him completely.

The most confusing thing of all was, she'd watched fun Danny escape but super Danny hadn't been around and then suddenly, when she viewed him next, the ghost was carrying him away from the jail. They were both in a very bad condition and she was so determined to find them that she'd told Tucker not to activated the sub-screen again unless something unusual happened to the icon.

She swerved about a corner and cursed as Danny suddenly appeared in another location in the ghost zone. "I wish he'd stop moving about," she said to no one in particular. Tucker was currently trying to add Walker's army to the virtual map. He cheered as they appeared in a large green cluster on the screen.

"If we could communicate with Danny this would work a lot better," he said and pointed out a route that would lead him out of harms way and into their clutches. "If he could just find us we'd easily be able to map a direction back." Sam listened to his 'ifs' and silently lead them forward.

Maybe if she used the doors Danny was most likely to take and guess his path ahead of time she could plan her own route that lead to him. The only problem with that was, if she made even the slightest mistake, it would go wrong and have to be started all over again…

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"How the hell am I meant to explain this to the folks?" Danny grumbled. He'd really started aching now. He struggled to keep his eyes on what was happening whilst he spoke. He'd deeply apologised for his sudden 'outburst' earlier and his eyes had remained red ever since. He didn't dare release Daniel's neck to rub them in fear of plummeting to a foul end. "We've been gone for like two days and I return looking like I've been run over…" he trailed off and began to think again. He _hated _thinking. It always came to a bad conclusion.

"I'm sure whatever you tell them they'll accept, even if it were to be the truth." Daniel peered down at his twin sympathetically. Being human, he looked more run down that Daniel. He was trying his best to comfort the boy but it was hard when he had resorted to thinking. Daniel wasn't keen on Danny thinking to much. He'd always come to pessimistic conclusions and yet there always seemed to be truth behind them. He was a hard kid to figure out but Daniel did his best.

"You know what I find strange though?" Daniel shook his head despite Danny not looking. "When we entered that place with the castle… my wounds disappeared." Daniel laughed dryly.

"That would be because the zones that these doors lead to have strange effects on humans. That is why you don't find them floating around your world. Did you not notice that all my injuries were still there?"

"No…" Danny replied ion confusion. Daniel glanced down at him. His eyes were closed now and his breathing had evened out a bit. Daniel giggled. He hadn't fallen asleep had he? "In my eyes you looked perfect…" The ghost frowned.

"Because I only can when you're in some abnormal, mind manipulating universe," he grunted. Danny opened his eyes and grinned.

"Yeah," he replied but yipped loudly as he was dropped. Expecting Daniel to catch him again only moments later he tried to look for a means to save himself when that situation never came. He kicked a door open as he fell past and grabbed the frame. With only one arm working he felt his shoulder leave its socket for a second before clicking back into place. "That bastard," he mumbled and slowly hauled himself through the door before it had a chance to sink to the ghostly graveyard below.

Looking around warily he held the door open in case the new place wasn't secure. A chorus of screams and clattering bones could be heard but it was only distant now. The zone he'd stepped into was dark. He felt irritated and angry. Quickly deciding this was a bad place to roam he jumped out of the zone and scanned around quickly for another door. His gaze only darkened when he realised he'd sunk too far to be able to reach any.

He looked up and found that one of the doors was wide open and some sort of green mist was leaking from it. That is what must have caught Daniel. He tried to swim upwards but, although the gravity in the ghost zone was sufficiently decreased, without his ghost powers he couldn't possibly fly.

The yard at the depths of the zone was far from welcoming. He'd come across it before but was capable of escaping it quickly. He watched the crumbling tombstones float into view and swore to haunt Daniel for the rest of his life if he was killed that day. It all seemed quiet but he knew that the moment he touched the earth it would come alive with ghouls and demons. A cold feeling crept up his spine and captured the back of his mind in dark morbid thoughts.

Panicked, he threw his weight towards a neighbouring tree. The collision spewed dead branches and debris onto the rotting soil below but the disturbance didn't seem enough to rouse the angry spirits. He watched the ground shift and held a breath. His body was so weak he couldn't hold the breath for long and let it go unable to untangle his limbs from the branches.

He watched the green mist thicken above with a heavy heart. This whole thing was a disaster. Perhaps it was a mistake as well; separating from his ghost. Both times he'd done it now it had made everything ten times worse than it should be. He risked his life every day but it all seemed to spiral out of control this time. If he was fused he'd have remembered the Thermos. If he was fused he wouldn't have all his worrying troubles about Daniel. If he was fused he wouldn't get so badly injured. If he was fused he'd fight efficiently. If he was fused he'd be able to fly away right now. He closed his eyes and found, to his surprise, that he was crying.

Everything was an 'if' when he thought too much. He was meant to be the fun side, relaxed, take whatever came but, in situations like these, who could be optimistic? Even Daniel found it hard to keep his act up but he did because he thought he had to. He believed it would stop Danny from worrying and expecting the worst.

It was like he couldn't be happy. Is that what he was right now? Far from it! He snapped his eyes open and lifted his gaze when the door finally slammed shut. He squinted as hard as he could. An ice cold dread encased his heart. He was left alone in the cold darkness.

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"He's stop moving…" he breathed. Sam let go of the wheel and let the vehicle come to an abrupt stop. She looked at the green icon and froze. He was right. Only seconds before she'd seen it speed up dramatically but no it had just… stopped. She glanced at Tucker with some sort of hope. He gulped and plugged his computer into the system. The small box opened up in the corner of the screen. They both examined their friend's situation woefully.

Danny was caught up in a tree. His position looked very uncomfortable and, Sam noted, he seemed to be at the very bed of the ghost zone and… unmoving. The two watched his chest for about a minute before Sam shook her head in disbelief. "He's not breathing…" she spelled out slowly.

"It… could be too small a display to tell…" Tucker implied truthfully. Even though this was probably most likely he still couldn't shake off the sudden significance in this search which had never been there before. He always knew that Danny would be able to pull through but, this time, he wasn't so sure.

Sam nodded firmly. "Is there any other systems you could set up to check?" He shook his head.

"But I could put that full screen. But then…" he pointed at the slow advancing army that continued to search high and low for it's injured victim, "_they _could catch up without us noticing."

"I think this is more important!" she scolded and waved her arms around furiously casting him an apologetic look once she'd calmed down. He pushed a button and the live view window came up full screen. Immediately Sam sighed in relief and leaned back against the seat. On the screen Danny had began a frenzied coughing fit after stretching his legs rigidly. Even Tucker couldn't hide a relieving smile from crossing his face.

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He _had _dropped him on purpose after he'd felt something cold grip his ankle. It seemed the best thing to do. There were many doors beneath them he could enter. There was a high chance he would have dealt with this problem quick enough to catch the boy if he failed to respond to what happened.

He was gravely mistaken in some predictions. This ghost was strong, a vicious type that would attack anyone who passed not just trespassers who entered. He didn't recognise it as any ghost he knew. All he saw was the sickening mist which leaked from its lair and its hideously long nails that reached out towards him and drained him of energy. The hands began to drag him forwards, through the door.

He glanced down and spotted Danny leaping out of one of the zones and plummeting down towards the graveyard. All he wanted now was to drag them both out of this zone and up to Danny's room and fall asleep. Fall asleep and wake up healed.

He kicked out in front of him but there was nothing there. His eyes widened as, with one final pull, he was part of the mist and the door was slammed behind him.

Danny tried to stretch out when he felt a sore spot start to rub on his shin. He dared not move too much in case something were to stir beneath him but he'd also come to the conclusion that, if the spirits below were going to attack him they would have by now. As much as he hated to dwell on situations he had nothing much better to do. It made him realise just how much he missed bowling. He smirked and choked on some dust that caught in his throat.

He dreaded to think how long he would have to sit there. Perhaps dieing by the ghost's would be less painful in a mental sense. He didn't want to die. He considered what he'd be doing now if he hadn't listened to Daniel and hunted down Walker; if he hadn't split them up in the first place. It was obvious that, before he'd even considered using the Ghost Catcher, he was happy. He was surrounded by friends and family who cared for him to no end but… it wasn't the kind of love he was looking for. Even Sam seemed unable to cure his lustful desires that had been building up over the years. He obviously wasn't looking at Daniel _just _for sex, although he could get used to that when he finally got his head around it. The ghost was capable of playing with his emotions, which usually he would dislike, but in his case it made him feel better about himself and his problems in life; even if Daniel was an egotistical cock-head.

Danny looked up as the door was opened once more. It took a while to register what was going on but when he finally did he peered up eagerly to see what was happening. Daniel fell and Danny watched him land on the ground he'd been desperately trying to avoid and then looked back to the door, deciding it was time to leave his tree. He noticed a large creature withdraw behind the purple frame and slam it shut once all the fog about it had cleared.

Danny twisted his way free from his nest and landed heavily on the grass. He dragged himself over to where Daniel lay and noticed his chest rise and fall with relief. The joy was short lived as the floor burst into life with deathly moans and rumbles and the soil heaved open.

Danny had fought too many ghosts now to be scared. He was too injured to be scared. It really started to annoy him how pathetic he was acting lately. So what he didn't have his powers. He was almost stupid enough to forget but, although he couldn't fight them hands on, he had a weapon to back him up. He pulled it from his pocket. There were hundreds of creatures crawling and limping towards him and he wouldn't usually be mad enough to attack them with so little ammunition but he could hear something. The unmistakeable wails of Sam Manson and Tucker Foley.

"Danny! Duck down!" Sam bellowed into the microphone and smiled when she saw him continue to shoot down the closest ghosts before thankfully collapsing next to his phantom. She ploughed through the vengeful spirits with a newly upgraded ecto-gun and dragged the two Danny twins into the vehicle. It appeared that they were both out cold.


	10. Down and Out

**Yeah it's been a while but i guess i got some inspiration from somewhere. This one's a bit longer too.**

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It didn't look like the two Danny's would be getting up any time soon. The Fenton wasn't unconscious anymore though. Danny was lying next to his other in silence. Sam could swear she'd seen their hands brush past each other. Danny looked like he just wanted to grab the boy's shoulders and burst into tears but she knew he would never do that. Not even if she and Tucker weren't there. The poor kid was probably scarred for life by what had happened. Nothing this serious had ever occurred before…

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Danny knew that Daniel was awake, perhaps just paralysed. It made him feel a lot better. He had wanted to sit up but decided against that greatly. If he wanted to be able to move when they got out of here he'd have to try and conserve his strength for when he really needed it. He'd gone to hold Daniel's hand when he thought the others weren't looking but Sam had kept glancing back so he settled for the space next to it where he could feel the cold radiating from it.

He swore Daniel purposefully stretched his fingers to brush against Danny. It was enough of a comfort for the time being. The main comfort Danny wanted now was the warmth of his bed not the aching confusion that his phantom brought to mind.

The whole vehicle jerked to the left. Danny felt his neck crick uncomfortably. Tucker and Sam were whispering frantically when Tucker finally turned to consult him on what was going on. They'd ran into an ambush at the ghost zone exit, just before the lab. Tucker could see only from a distance and all the icons on the radar just merged together into one big red danger zone so the numbers were unknown. "What should we do Danny? The gun's ammo has run out."

He sat up deciding it was time he moved. "How am I supposed to know?" he grunted and stumbled into a seat relieving his weary legs of his weight. He shifted until he was comfortable and tried to imagine he was seated at the kitchen table at home with a large steaming plate of food on the table in front of him-

Sam growled at him. "How can you act like that in this sort of situation?! Look!" She grabbed his shoulders and twisted him so he was looking out the window at the what seemed to be a mass gathering of ghosts ahead. Danny glared at her in distaste and bit back a pained whimper. He looked back out the window. He was _really _starting to get sick of this. He looked down at his ghost and sighed. He did really just want to sleep right now but he was the leader of 'team phantom'. Especially now that Daniel wasn't capable of giving orders.

"I totally dread to think what my parents are going to think of all this…" he mumbled. Daniel really needed some sort of medical attention and… Danny cursed so loudly that both Sam and Tucker jumped and cast him startled glances.

"Holy hell, Danny, have you gone insane?" Tucker half laughed until he saw the serious horror on his friend's face. "Seriously?" Sam cast him a steady but worried look.

"Shit! Do you even know what's going to happen as soon as we burst through that ghost portal?!" Danny voiced a bit too loudly. Sam and Tucker frowned a bit.

"We'll go to your parents and say you got attacked and dragged into the ghost zone. They'll be concerned Danny and when people are concerned they accept things like that. Then we'll hopefully get you to a hospital." Sam's words visibly did nothing to aid Danny's sudden hysteria. "Don't worry. There are so many ghost attacks in Amity that they'll probably come to that conclusion on their own."

Danny ground his teeth together noisily and hissed at her. "And _what _ghost will have attacked me? What will they think?"

Sam frowned at his attitude. "Fright Night or Wulf maybe. They've already seen them attacking you before."

Danny chuckled. "So you're saying that if we like crash through the portal with the infamous Danny Phantom they'll blame fright night?" Sam glanced down at the sleeping ghost and her eyes widened. Tucker was the first to speak.

"Shit, Danny! How could we forget?" Danny twitched. "You'll have to tell them that he saved you…" Tucker sounded unsure and Danny sensed it.

"My parents could _never _trust a ghost, even if _I_ could," he scowled and fell back in his chair. "I mean just look how scratched up I am! I look like I've fallen off a bloody building and, even if it actually is his fault…" he glanced down in time to catch the disapproved scowl on the said boy's face, "they'll go hysterical!" he cursed again and scratched his head furiously. "I don't care what you do as long as we get out of here…" He closed his eyes but sighed and knelt down on the floor beside his ghost.

"Hey, dude, I know you're awake." He poked him in the arm. The ghost sneered at him but made no other move. "Hey!" He poked him in the stomach. Daniel rolled over slowly and settled down. Danny grumbled to himself and grabbed the boy's chest. Tucker and Sam had no idea how much he wished they'd just disappear right now. "Dude! Get up!"

"Danny," Tucker interrupted. "We don't know how long he's going to be out for. Why don't you just-"

"He's awake. Believe me." Tucker shrugged and turned back to the controls. "Wake up du-" a hand clasped his mouth swiftly. Daniel pulled him down to his level.

"Don't call me that," he hissed. Danny watched in shock as he flopped back onto the floor in a fake stupor. He growled and stood up.

"You bastard, get up!" he said firmly and nudged him hard in the head with his foot. Daniel sat up and grabbed his shirt. Sam and Tucker watched, somewhat amazed that Danny was right but, mostly in amusement.

"I have had most of my energy sucked dry by a giant mutant ghost and I am not in the frame of mind to quarrel with you!" he fell back to the ground and covered his eyes with his arm.

Danny smirked and displayed an innocent look careful not to make his words sound _too _offended. "You mean you made out with a giant squid?" Daniel's eyes flared but Danny could see the humour returning quickly accompanied by a dark blush.

"Yeah, I did! What of it?" Danny frowned at how dismissive the boy was being he leaned down when he noticed Sam and Tucker turn back to the controls.

"What's up du-" Daniel looked up at him expectantly but Danny didn't continue.

"Look," Daniel began seriously and a sudden twinge of concern picked at the back of Danny's mind. "I'm not going to get up." Danny cocked his head in question. Daniel smiled. "I can't use my powers," he finished simply. Danny didn't know whether to be relieved or absolutely devastated. He quickly decided on one.

"Shit! How did that happen?" he helped the boy to sit up against one of the seats but Daniel refused to move any further.

"I felt the door approach us whilst we were talking. I would have tried to help you get away but it was quicker than I thought. If it had gotten you I believe you would not be alive right now." Danny was grateful, obviously, but couldn't shake off the slight grudge that he'd been holding for quite a while now. "It shoved something down my throat and the next thing I knew I had been discarded of out the door and could not fly." He fell into silent contemplation. Danny stuttered over his words before finally deciding on something.

"W-well we gotta go back then and get them! Right now!" Danny went to stand up but was pulled back to the floor with a thud.

"You cannot. Is it… really that important an ordeal?" His human twin looked at him incredulously. He'd lost his powers and he didn't think it was a big deal.

"B-but then you can't phase me out of lessons. You can't fight Valerie. You can't patrol the town and tell me what's going on. I can't help you fight ghosts. You can't fly me to school or to the beach…" It looked like Danny was helping sway the ghost's opinion on the matter.

"Is that all I'm good for?" he chuckled as a joke. Danny contorted. Daniel watched a number of emotions wash his face before he settled on one.

"You're an idiot," he said simply and lay against the seat next to Daniel in a sulk.

"No, you are the idiot."

"They've spotted us!" Sam called from the front seat with a blatantly forced calmness. Daniel was the one to reply.

"They shouldn't be able to attack us in this human contraption, they are all ghosts."

"What?" She turned around and noticed that it was Daniel who had spoken. She blushed slightly. "Oh."

"But they have like a load of new weapons," Danny reminded him. Daniel shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair and sighed in exasperation.

"I apologise. I'm just a little rattled." Danny put a hand on his shoulder.

"We really need to get out of here fast," Sam said seriously. Daniel nodded gravely and sat up. Danny followed and subconsciously slid his arm over the ghost's shoulders. Sam ignored this reluctantly. "We'll worry about everything else later," she assured them, and herself.

"There aren't that many of them," Tucker suddenly said and everyone in the Spectre Speeder sighed in audible relief. "It looks like there's only…" Tucker turned around to consult them with eye contact. His gaze fell on his best friend. "Woah!" Danny released the ghost at once and stubbornly stopped a blush from crossing his face. "Y-you two really looked like a couple then."

Sam made a loud noise of disgust while Daniel looked quite bewildered. Danny stormed over to his best friend and was about to start scolding when Daniel spoke up wondrously.

"You think?" he questioned vacantly. Everyone turned to him for a silent moment. The boy snapped back to reality and blushed visibly under everyone's gaze before continuing. "Uhh… well, h-how many in total?"

Danny almost fell over at the embarrassed look his ghost wore. _What is that idiot _purposefully trying to get us caught!? _Why did I start all this? Am I insane!? _He grabbed Sam and Tucker's shoulder's and span them round to face the vehicle controls. "A-about thirty?" Tucker replied distractedly. Danny was still staring over his shoulder at Daniel uncertainly. Sam looked slightly irritated but Danny was far from that. He could feel that unanswerable confusion return coupled by pointless concern in an irritating ache. An itch in the back of his mind that he couldn't scratch.

All of a sudden, after a loud metallic sound, the entire vehicle shook. Danny looked at Tucker worriedly. Daniel followed suit in a dazed way. "What was that?" he asked, unsure whether he'd like the answer.

Tucker hesitated. "Th-the engine…" The team fell silent and peered out the window. The Spectre Speeder was headed for a nose dive and picking up speed. The portal could clearly be seen but they were headed down and out fast.

Sam swerved into the seat next to Tucker. "Is it serious?" she demanded while pulling back on the steering to no effect. Tucker checked a display on the binnacle.

"No but it'd take some time to fix-"

"We don't have time!" Sam yelled over the roar of grinding metal and ricocheted bullets which rained down from above. Daniel watched them argue in a state of bemusement. He felt weak and empty without his powers and he hated it. He could barely see the portal now, it was distancing fast. Before interrupting the human's argument he stood up and shook his head.

"I won't be able to survive down there," he said simply. "They cannot touch you but me…" he sighed loudly and rubbed his forehead painfully. "I must leave now."

Danny stood up quicker than his body could handle and fell back down again. "You can't leave! Those guys'll get you for sure," he objected and began to stand up again but more slowly. Daniel went to aid him. It was amazing how irrelevant pain seemed in the ghost zone. Things did hurt but Danny was sure he'd be paralyzed back in the human world. For that reason he was somewhat aloof on returning.

"I stand more of a chance attempting to get up there than ending up in that grave yard." Danny looked at him stubbornly even though he knew Daniel was right.

Sam whispered something. Danny looked at her curiously but she didn't repeat it any louder. "So what are you going to do?" Tucker asked and turned to face the ghost.

"Jump!" He pointed up at the army of gun wielding ghouls and smiled weakly.

Danny lowered his head. "You're… INSANE!" he yelled as he collapsed into the seat next to him and refused to say anything else.

Daniel opened his mouth to speak but decided he didn't really have anything else to say.

Danny felt every curse ever thought up pass his lips but he didn't manage to utter any of them. _Hasn't he even considered what could happen the moment he steps through that portal into my parent's laboratory? _He growled in exasperation but didn't lift his head.

Sam crouched down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder noting gratefully that he made no attempt to shrug it off. "The gravity here is completely different than in our zone so if you're worried about the jump then…" she trailed off when she realised her words were making no difference to Danny's dwindling mood. She found it strange how often that happened lately. It was like they were distancing; even like he wasn't telling her something important.

He did shrug her off then. "It's not _that_ that I'm worried about." he sighed and looked up at her. "He… can't use his powers-"

The seatbelt clattered loudly against the window as Daniel stood up, begrudged. "I'll go now! I bid you good luck in fixing the engine." He pulled open the roof window, with a little effort, and went to climb out when a hand clasped his ankle.

"Don't go man. You're still uh… half our leader." Daniel glanced down at Tucker and tugged his ankle free.

"_You're _the technology master are you not?" Tucker lowered his hand. "I know nothing of this machine. My assistance is of no help in this field of ghost fighting." He readied his muscles to jump without looking back. "Good lu-"

"DANIEL!" Silence followed. Danny got out of his chair and held his now-not-a-phantom's bewildered gaze. "I'm coming with you." As much as Daniel wanted to shake his head he couldn't bring himself to so instead he watched as Danny walked up beside him and clasped his wrist. "You…" he sighed and helped the sulking teen onto the speeder's roof.

"Wait a minute!" Sam bellowed and drew some sort of weapon from her pocket. Daniel's eyes widened in surprise but mostly fear.

"What the hell Sam!?" Tucker questioned in alarm and grabbed her shoulder firmly.

"Oh, I have good intensions you know," she said eerily and fired the weapon. Danny almost let go of Daniel's wrist as the bullet whizzed past his face almost setting his hair alight. The crew of the Spectre Speeder watched in awe as the bullet struck five of Walker's ghosts. Sam smirked widely. "And more to go."

"That was unexpected…" Daniel stated in disbelief before pulling himself onto the roof opposite Danny.

"Dude, you're awesome!" Danny grinned down at her. "I swear we'll be back!" Tucker let his hand drop slowly from Sam's shoulder unable to wipe the shock from his face.

"I count on it," she replied and aimed the weapon upwards. "Now move out of range so I can help. I might as well do something if I can right?"

The twins jumped just after Sam fired her second shot. Danny could feel the adrenaline sweep throughout his body as he headed for the light. He suddenly didn't care what his parents would do as soon as he burst through the portal. All he felt was the need to get to it and avoid the bullets that soared past him as he twisted out of their way. All he felt was a fake hope that overwhelmed any logic that still lurked in the back of his mind.

Daniel placed a foot on the rock face and pulled Danny onto the ledge with him. Danny's fingers slid from Daniel's wrist to his hand. He turned back and laughed at the wind that blew dust into the ghost's faces and whipped his hair from his face. They fired blindly in the wrong direction. _As long as Sam and Tucker are okay and my parents believe me everything will be just fine. They _will _believe me. I'm their son._

Daniel pulled them both through the portal with a final grunt and lost his balance pulling them both onto the cold tiles waiting on the other side.


	11. A Matter of Trust

**Yeah I'm still writing this so don't give up on me. I enjoy writing it.** **I've had most of this written for a while now.**

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One hell of a head ache followed as the deafening atmosphere fell silent in a sudden wave of nausea. Danny groaned and kneaded his skull tenderly. He felt Daniel shift underneath him and managed to roll to the side, not daring to even mutter a word of apology.

He tried to sit up but only managed to lift his upper torso wearily. He felt Daniel slide an arm over his shoulder and help him to sit up. Curious as to why it was so quiet Danny scanned the room to find it empty. He cast his ghost an apprehensive look. Daniel released his shoulder and stood up slowly.

He wandered across the room and to the door. Danny realised how messy the room was. It was as if his parents had turned the place upside down looking for something. He also found it strange how the portal was open. He just hoped his parents hadn't done something stupid. He jumped when Daniel stumbled over something on his way back to Danny.

Danny grumbled as he was helped up. _How come it__'__s _me _who ends up like this when he__'__s the one who__'__s meant to fight ghosts? _"What are we going to do now?" he whispered.

"I do not know if they are here or not." Daniel shook his head. "I cannot hear anything." Danny groaned deeply and fell back onto the floor.

"Shit!" He leaned his head on Daniel's shoulder, as the ghost sat down next to him, and closed his eyes. "I could take a look around the house but…" he sighed.

"But even if you leave me in here they will still come down as soon as you tell them what happened." He looked seriously at Danny. "I could hide in the ghost zone-"

"You really have gone insane… Walker's soldiers are all over the place in there and you haven't got your powers and you still consider that as an idea? You're more crazy than I first-" He stopped suddenly and held his breath. Daniel looked at him expecting to see his face twisted in pain but instead saw the unmistakable signs of a dawning idea.

"Yes?" he questioned eagerly and grabbed the boy's shoulders. Danny smirked and climbed up Daniel until he was on his feet. After gaining reasonable balance he stumbled over to a very familiar contraption in the corner of the cold room. He placed a palm on it's round frame to steady himself and then laughed a bit as he turned to his ghost.

"D'ya think it'll work?" he asked hopefully patting the Fenton Ghost Catcher. Daniel smiled a bit and shrugged.

"I'm not sure but I _am_ sure that there's a genius hidden in that thick skull somewhere," he chuckled and tapped Danny's head playfully with his knuckles when he was close enough to. Danny smiled proudly and then cringed when he realised it was more of an insult.

"Are we going to knock it over or something?" Danny asked and rocked it on its base to check how stable it was. Daniel thought for a second.

"With the state you're in, and the unfortunate fact that I cannot fly, I see no other option. But we must hope that they are not in the house or they shall definitely hear it." Daniel made sure he was standing on the merge side of the device before looking at Danny as if questioning whether he was sure. He was hesitant and Daniel could see that.

Danny couldn't stop the doubtful thoughts from flooding in. _What if it doesn__'__t work and they hear it? What if they don__'__t believe me? What if it goes wrong?_ "W-what if we…" Danny swallowed loudly. "…break it?" He only managed to whisper the end.

Daniel grinned awkwardly. "We won't do that," he assured as best he could. "And even if we did I'm sure your parents will be eager to fix it again." He'd never even considered that. "We shall definitely be able to separate again." Danny nodded slowly and stood next to his ghost. He looked at the wall opposite through the distorting, green net. Daniel glanced at him and noticed the sweat forming on his forehead. He was curious so he asked. "Why are you so unwilling to remerge Daniel?"

Danny felt his face burn at the question and stuttered his reply. "N-none of you're business!" Daniel guessed that he would be defiant. He pulled the gadget over their heads. If this worked Danny was avoiding two very uncomfortable interrogations. At least that was a positive outcome.

He squeezed his eyes shut as an unfamiliar cold crept down his skin where the net had passed, then… nothing. He heard the device crash to the floor and clatter as it balanced. He cracked an eye open and looked at his feet. After seeing his body was that of a human's he let out an audible sigh, but he noticed two pairs of feet rather than the one he'd half hoped for. He lifted his head and held Daniel's gaze for a second before falling backward onto the floor.

"Hey! Hey, Danny!" Daniel crouched down next to him. "What did it do?" Danny looked up at him tiredly. He felt a hand pat his cheek lightly. _Wha__'__ did he call me?_

He lifted a hand to the one on his cheek and sighed. "Nothing but I… can't move," Daniel froze when Danny let his hand drop to the floor and closed his eyes.

"Get away from my son!" Daniel felt his heart stop as he lifted his gaze. He heard the crack as his head hit the wall and moaned into the darkness with self pity.

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The Fenton parents seemed to feed from the fear which seeped from his every pore, like some sort of synthesis beings who, at a glance, look like a pair of jokers but who's secrets are darker than even Daniel could have imagined. Their loving and lovable exteriors had been fenced out. All he saw now, from his point of view as their priority enemy, was a pair of eager scientists who did as they wish with no regards to the opinion of their subject. He was their son _and _their subject. Most of the love for his parents was held by Danny Fenton, their original son, but he still had a high judgment of them.

The thing that amazed him most was how they'd even taken precautions with their human son. He was amazed that they'd locked him away and questioned Daniel, who wasn't willing to answer, before seeking medical help on Danny's behalf. He was amazed at how high ghost hunting was, as a value, next to family.

He wasn't even permitted to rub the ache out of the back of his skull, which he could feel was still sticky with more than just dry blood. He opened an eye and felt the skin crease against dry blood. Shivering, he managed to turn his head slightly. Out of curiosity, he tried to sit up from his foetal position on the floor. With his hands bound behind his back by steel, he only managed to cause a disturbance. The metallic echo seemed never ending as it swayed the humid air. He tried to wriggle his way free but without intangibility it seemed a pointless way to waste energy. He rolled into a sitting position, with difficulty, and his shoulders bowed in pain. The chains holding him to the floor mercilessly clamped his limbs beyond feeling. He couldn't hear any voices. Deciding he'd rather try his luck than hunch over in silence, he broke the strained silence.

"D-Danny-" Bone hit tile and the ghost whimpered in pain. Thinking it futile to labour into a sitting position once more he surrendered his pride to his attacker and remained on the floor like he was supposed to.

"We already know you're name." Daniel could barely recognise the voice of his mother and his ear began to fill with his blood. "So stay quiet!" He obeyed and kept his mouth shut trying to breath enough air to clear his vision. He watched as the item which had made collision skidded across the floor in front. He couldn't even make out what it was. With nothing better to do, he forced his neck into motion and slowly turned to look behind him.

His eyes met those of Mrs Fenton's. Her gaze was strong and cold but he refused to look away instantly. Instead he lingered a few seconds in challenge before his gaze finally settled on the boy who lay behind bars beside her. He shifted Danny's direction against his chains. He flinched as another object was flung his way and launched out of it's reach. Skidding to a halt, the steel cables tangled with his limbs leaving him immobile.

"L-Look I have not done anything wrong!" he shouted and ground his nails into the tiles. The woman stood up so quickly that it made him jump.

"You call what you've done to my son right?!" she said hysterically and began to approach him.

"But I did not do that to him. How could I? I-" he hissed through his teeth. _Be careful what you say. _"I protect people like-" He cried out as she grabbed a handful of his hair and jolted his head back with a loud click.

"Ghosts don't protect people. And people don't trust ghosts!" She released him and strolled over to her son. He could hear her voice tremble. "What you've done, we're not going to let you go this time. Not this time." He looked to the boy she was trembling over. His chest rose and fell slower than he would have expected. He knew the kid was in good hands but it didn't stop the wanting in the pit of his stomach. He felt pity towards this woman weeping over her son, but he still wasn't sorry enough to admit defeat. After all it wasn't his fault- he gasped and fell backwards in realisation..

His mother looked up. "Are you willing to admit it now?" Her eyes fell on him as he lifted his head to face her, his eyes wet with tears.

_No, _he thought as he lifted his head. He trembled visibly as he creased his eyes shut and let fresh tears fall. It truly was his fault. He felt angry with himself, barely able to keep his muscles under control. _It__'__s true. I made him come along, I forced- no, that__'__s not true. He insisted on coming with me. _"I'm not usually this negative," he hissed to himself and looked Mrs Fenton in the eyes strongly. "You have drugged me!" He said it almost in disbelief.

Mrs Fenton reached into a bag next to her chair and pulled a leather box full of needles out. "It causes severe insecurity and irrational thinking. It really helps that you came across an ectolysis-squid capable of removing a ghost's abilities by stealing a large amount of ectoplasm. Without any of you're ghost abilities you're almost as useless as…" She looked to the boy at her side.

Daniel felt his blood boil. "How can you say that about your own son!?" His features twisted in anger as he stared into the woman's eyes, the drugs she'd gave him pushing out rational thinking against his rage driven words.

"I don't know why you care so much," she smiled slightly and it all clicked in Daniel's head. _She thinks that he__'__s overshadowed! _He was thankful that he had been underestimated for once.

"Because-"

"I didn't say I wanted you to tell me!" she ordered. He swallowed against his dry throat. They sat in silence as she tapped the box against her chair leg. Much to his annoyance, his breathing was loud through his sore oesophagus. "You're throat's dry?"

Not sure how to answer, Daniel replied with an honest, "yes." She stood up and strolled over to him slowly. He stayed still and watched her closely, looking for a hint on her next action. He was nervous, no doubt, about the humane limits this person had. "What are you going to do when he wakes up?" he asked fearfully and she knelt down next to him. Blood pressure rising, he flinched away as she pulled a needle from its leather case.

She gripped his arm like a vice as he whimpered and struggled, his eyes widening as the needle was prepared. Her grasp slipped on sweat. Daniel tugged against her but was restricted by the strong steel shackles. With a swift flick of the wrist, she punctured his skin and pushed the drugs into his vein in a ball of fluid. He hissed at her, once she'd removed the syringe, and shrunk to the ground.


End file.
